Anyone on just Taxotere and Cytoxan?
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Oh yeah, I'm rocking the molting old man look too. Definitely keeping a sense of humour is important for me. I distinctly remember seeing myself in the mirror on New Year's Day 2010 after my second TC back then. I told my husband that I looked like Uncle Fester (bald and bloated face from steroids) and that all I needed was a lightbulb to stick in my mouth. We both had a good laugh. And, ladies, all of this will also pass. I have to keep reminding myself.
Here's a link to my hair regrowth in 2010, posted in July at 21 weeks after chemo ended in early February. It gives me hope this time. https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics...
KeepingCalm - I'm curious how it goes without Neulasta. Since my next treatment is my last, I wonder if I could forego it too? I'll ask my oncologist. However, I usually pick it up from the hospital pharmacy two days ahead of chemo along with my day-before steroids and I'd hate to have it in my fridge and not be used since it costs my husband's insurance more than $2,000.
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Hi everyone,
Had my 2nd infusion on Thursday and yes have been interested myself in this little Neulasta experiment, Sugar. My counts were high enough on Thursday for my otherwise seemingly pretty conservative take no risks data driven MO to say I could try this cycle without Neulasta. I would say not having it has definitely made a positive difference initially so it will be interesting to see how the next few days go. I was more tired this time on Day 3 which is also when I felt like the Neulasta side effects kicked in last time so clearly there is some effect of chemo. On Neulasta I definitely had moderate bone and joint pain that required Tylenol or Motrin - almost zingers at times and without that I have just a little bit of occasional joint achiness presumably from the Taxotere and not needed any pain killers. I was very sluggish this morning - kids up early and also had only slept 4-5 hours the previous nights on steroids + presumably the cumulative chemo effects everyone warns about but after a morning nap was well enough to be up and about a little bit. Last time I had bothersome headaches and significant uncomfortable sinus pressure for almost a week and so far none of that so fingers crossed I continue to do well and that my counts bounce back to keep me on track for the 3rd cycle. I may be rambling a bit, but I guess my conclusion is yes, I feel noticeably better without the Neulasta. (I do feel I need to be extra conservative with pretty much staying home so as not get sick without that extra protection so that’s a consideration. Now I’m still taking Zofran through tonight — I suppose coming off of that could also have caused some sort of rebound headache last time? I don’t know - haven’t googled that yet - I’ll report back in a day or two
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Thanks for that information, KC. I have been wondering if I could skip the Neulasta next time, too. It seems that it causes a lot of weirdness that I could live without. But the other side of the coin is the potential of catching something with a tanked immune system. I don’t know.
I’ll be very interested to see what happens with your experiment. Hope you’re feeling okay today. I had my infusion on Tuesday and I’m starting to see the end of the tunnel now. Yay! My big problem this time is trying to keep my blood sugar under control. It’s been very wonky and up and down. Not good. My PC is bugging me about insulin, which I’ve never had to take before. I’m afraid to start doing that for fear it’ll become necessary after the chemo is over. Blah!
Nan
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Nan,
When I went through cancer treatment 4 years ago, my sugar crept up every week. I began taking curcumin daily and was shocked to see my sugar numbers creep down weekly. It was shocking but true! I ordered it off amazon and it is the one recommended by the integrative medicine doctor in my town. It is called 'super bio-curcumin turmeric extract' by Life Extension. It says take 1 a day but I took it twice a day with food.
Paige
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Thank you so much for writing about that, Paige. I’m going to order some right now. Did your sugar go back to “normal-ish” after the chemo was over? I’ve been worried that the drugs would alter my body chemistry in some way that would make it hard to go back again. I exercise every day and try to eat right, but this situation has been beyond my control. I really hate that.
There’s just too much of that right now.Thanks again,
Nan
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Hi everyone,
An update - day 5 from 2nd TC infusion last Thursday and am largely doing well. Being without Neulasta this time makes me feel like the side effects last time were probably 50/50 Neulasta and chemo. I do feel better overall without Neulasta but am definitely having joint pain that must be chemo related. That said it's not enough to need any painkillers whereas last time I took Tylenol or ibuprofen for joints and headaches for the better part of a week. No sinus pressure this time and my mouth isn’t nearly as dry. I have dealt with some unpleasant constipation this time that I'll ask how I can better head off next time. I’m trying to drink plenty and exercise but I almost feel like it’s a full-time job to optimally take care if myself and I don’t have the time for that with my young kids! I have to discipline myself to sit down and drink water rather than fold laundry which can clearly wait - oy! Fatigue is definitely more noticeable this time which definitely makes things harder with the kids and worries me a little going into rounds 3 and 4 but obviously one day at a time and eye on the finish line!
Suzy, thinking of you on the same treatment schedule - hope you’re doing okay!
Nan and Sugar, how are you making out with your hair? I’m surprised that I still have maybe 1/2 my buzz cut in (thinning) splotches all over my head. I wonder how long it will be before it is 100% gone.
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Hi All.
KeepingCalm, glad to hear you are feeling some things lessening this round. For constipation I have used Senna tea. The brand I use is Traditional Medicinals, Organic Smooth Move. I waited a few days and when I saw things weren't moving along well. I drank one cup and waited. Things started working better within 24 hours. After another 2 days I drank another cup because it seemed like it still wasn't moving fast enough. I am usually super regular. That tea really works! I am careful with it because I don't want things to go to far in the other direction. Maybe next round, drink a cup of Senna tea on the morning after your infusion and see if that helps?
Sugar, I hope you are feeling good. When is your next infusion?
Nan, sorry you are having to worry about blood sugar issues on top of everything else.
Today is round 2, day 7 and I am starting to feel the lightening of the SEs. Last time I wrote down that I felt this way starting day 8. So, I am happy to take a day off the length. Actually this time it felt the same in many ways, fatigue, nausea, cloudy head. But in others my symptoms were less. Weird mouth, body aches, sore throat, and inner ears were there, but less. I also felt the SEs earlier. The first night. So, it seems to have started earlier and is fading earlier. Overall, it sucked, but it sucked just a little less.
Love to you all.
Suzy
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Hey KC, Suzy et al
Re: constipation - Smooth Move tea is a great helper. Or for a bit of a treat that always works for me, try eating dried apricots. But BE CAREFUL. If you eat too many (and they taste so good, it's easy to do that), you'll have the opposite problem. My husband and I make jokes about them because we both love them. Fortunately we have two bathrooms!
Re: Hair - OMG I wrote in the the regular forum about that just now. I need to have another buzz cut because although I have about ¼ of my hair left, it seems to be GROWING? I look like Christopher Lloyd in back to the future - 88 Gigawats of power - with every hair standing out straight. If it wasn't me, it would be funny .... Maybe next week it'll fall out. But for right now, it seems to be pretty much stuck to my head. Anyone else have anything to share on this? Will it eventually all fall out?
For me, this round sucked more. It took until day 8 before I was able to really eat anything much. Not because I had nausea, although I had a little bit. But because it just wasn't appealing at all and just the thought of eating made me gag. I'm a bit worried about round 3 if this is the way things are going to go. I won't fade away to nothing if I don't eat, but I sure don't like feeling weak and tired and hungry for a week. The sugar issue didn't help. Nor did my day-long pity party. Which was probably overdue but still ridiculous.
Also - a warning about the sun - on Wednesday I went out to walk at 3PM. I was out for about 45 minutes. It was mostly in the shade and late enough in the day, but on Thursday morning, I was really really flushed in the face when I woke up. It took me aback until I realized that - duh - I had a sunburn! I'm now slathering sunscreen on my face twice a day just in case I catch an odd ray of sun. My face still actually hurts even though it's not that badly burned. You know that feeling, like when you were 17 and hanging out at the beach with your friends all day without putting a drop of sunscreen on even though your Mom packed it and reminded you to use it, and you looked like a lobster the next day. It's still red and sort of hot now a couple of days later. The chemo obviously really made my skin sensitive.
Xoxo
Nan
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I'm a little slow catching up here after infusion 3 on Monday. I seem to be more tired with each round and I'm only doing the bare minimum.
Sherry, your previous after-chemo pic is encouraging. Maybe I'll have some hair by Christmas. :
So interesting about the different takes on Neulasta. I mentioned it to my doctor and she was not in favor of that idea with covid running around. I was fine with that, although I would be curious to see how much of a difference it made. I kinda think some of my side effects have been less with the second and third rounds anyway than they were with the first, so it would be hard to say what causes what. I just know I'm thankful I only have to have 4 rounds and will be very glad when it's over!
Nan, you might want to check with your doctor before taking curcumin while on chemo. I was taking it before starting chemo and my doctor asked me to stop. She does not recommend any antioxidant supplements while on chemo. I've read that some evidence suggests that they can interfere with the cancer-killing effects of chemo and so I think she is being cautious.
Also, it's interesting that you can't eat. I actually feel more nauseous if I don't eat. But I can't eat much at one time or I get bloated. So I eat little bits all day. And I've gained weight. Really frustrating because that is NOT the direction I want to see the scale move! When I feel well, I usually only eat twice a day and very seldom snack. So that's probably at least part of the reason. But right now I just have to do what I need to do to get through this and then deal with the consequences when I'm done. But I still don't like it!
KeepingCalm, just take it as easy as you can. The fatigue is real. And mine does seem to be getting worse. I've had constipation with every round but it's never gotten severe. Where I've landed is to just start Colace on the morning of the infusion and continue taking it morning and evening until things have returned to normal. Takes a week or more for me.
Suzy, your experiences sound similar to mine. Enjoy the next several better days before you have to start all over again. Round and round we go...
I have to have radiation when this is done. Anyone else?
Thinking of you all...
Patti
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HI ladies - I had my final TC chemo yesterday and rang the ceremonial bell at the end! So now I'm just awaiting for the yucky days ahead but know I'll only go up from here in a week's time. When I saw the oncologist and had blood counts done on Thursday, I asked about forgoing the Neulasta shot but was strongly advised I should go ahead and do it so it's in the fridge and a community nurse is coming to my house at 4:00 p.m. to give it to me. I've already taken a Claritin in preparation. Still feeling okay but I'm on steroids. I taper the day after pills over two days so I don't crash too hard. Therefore, I could have more energy today but will feel a little better tomorrow than I would otherwise.
The oncologist told me it was safe to resume drinking green & white tea (my favourites!), supplements with antioxidants, etc. in four weeks. My normal vitamins weren't allowed either but I can start them again at the four-week post final chemo (PFC) mark. I was also told my hair should start sprouting in 4-6 weeks. Right now I'm also sporting the mad scientist/Christopher Lloyd form Back to the Future look. Referring to my picture from 10 years ago that I posted above is giving me hope once again for hair. Glad I was able to dig it up. It's amazing how much I'd forgotten about regrowth, etc.
I hope everyone is doing well with minimal side effects. Hang in there!
Sherri
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Hi Nan (aka CCGirl),
I'm so sorry I didn't see your question until just now. Yes, the turmeric that I took, super bio-curcumin worked like a charm! I saw a difference in my blood sugar after taking it for just one week. I did take 2 a day even though the bottle said take 1. Every week my sugar went down, just the same as it had gradually went up when I started chemo. It was amazing, and everything I've read says it seems to actually make the chemo work more effectively too. Look it up on MSKCC'S website. They have a great section on supplements so you can look different supplements up and see if they are ok to take while on treatment. Again, my apologies for not seeing this sooner!
Paige
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Paige - did you take during actual chemo? I was told to refrain from any antioxidants and supplements during chemo so the cells are not protected, i.e., so it can kill the free radicals. I've just finished TC on Friday and was told I can resume my supplements and green tea, etc. in four weeks.
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Sugar, congratulations on your final chemo! I am six weeks out. Appetite and taste buds have returned. Still waiting on hair growth but I see a shadow up there so I think it’s going to happen soon.
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Sherri, I'm so jealous! I hope this round flies by quickly for you and you recover just as quickly! I'm over the hump on round 3 and starting to feel the upswing. One more to go! I can hardly wait!
I think I'm developing some thrush in my mouth. I'm trying salt water and baking soda rinses and if that doesn't cut it, I will call the doctor in a day or two to see if I can get a prescription mouth rinse. Hoping I can kick it with the home remedy. I had this with round 1 (and got rid of it on my own) but not round 2. You just never know what you're going to get with chemo.
Regarding the curcumin/turmeric, the info on the turmeric page of the mskcc.org website contains this statement...
"However, recent experiments suggest turmeric may interfere with the activity of some chemotherapy drugs, so the question remains whether this spice is helpful or harmful during chemotherapy. Curcumin also showed weak phytoestrogenic activity in a laboratory study. Human data are needed to determine the clinical relevance."
And under the under the section that says "do not take if..."
"You are taking chemotherapy drugs such as camptothecin, mechlorethamine, doxorubicin, or cyclophosphamide: Turmeric inhibits the action of these drugs against breast cancer cells in lab experiments. Clinical relevance is not known."
And, of course, cyclophosphamide is Cytoxan which we are all taking. I don't think it's a clear cut issue, simply because the studies have not been done, but there are certainly reasons to be cautious.
For my part, I'm not going to do anything that has the potential to interfere with the treatment. I hate that I have to put these toxins in my body, but since I chose to do so, I want to give them the best chance possible to work effectively.
Having said that, we each have to make our own choices based on what we feel is best. But we need to do it with full information to base that decision on.
My best wishes to each of you...
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Hi all,
First thing I would like to say is CONGRATULATIONS SUGAR! Yay you!! Done! Of course you probably won't really feel done until you get through the next few weeks and start feeling better again. I am happy that you are seeing the light at the end of this tunnel.
Sorry I have been missing for several days. Last week was hard. I am now at Round 2, Day 13. So, I am feeling pretty good this morning. Heading out for a walk soon.
Patti, I agree with you that the fatigue was heavier and lasted longer round 2. But I also felt like all my other SEs were a little easier. I don't know if they were actually less, because I felt pretty crappy, but I think it felt less because I did not have the severe anxiety I had in round 1 which made everything worse.
As for supplements and antioxidants. I stopped everything except vitamin D3 (which I was low on when I started this), and magnesium before bed to help with sleep. Both approved by my Oncologist. During round 1 I was taking a probiotic too. But I decided to stop that after reading up more and listening to all the good advice on this site. I will, like Sugar, wait until after I am clear of chemo for a while and then start up with supplements again. It is tempting because I am not eating well. When I am sick, all I want is comfort food, AKA carbs. Like you PJB61, little bits all day. No veggies and little fruit. And as my appetite comes back it is voracious.
Nan, you made me laugh of loud about your 88 gigawatts of power. Ha ha! As for my hair, I am now sporting a Friar Tuck look on the top of my head. I haven't buzzed yet. I did cut it myself into a short bob, so the scraggly length of my hair still sticks out a bit from under a scarf. I was able to buy a clipper online. So I am ready when I can stand it no more.
PJB61, I will be having 4 weeks of radiation when this is done. I think I get one month to recover from chemo SEs, then that begins. That should be a piece of cake after this. (I hope)
KeepingCalm, I hope you are doing well. I know you are on the same timeline as me. So, I hope you are moving into better days.
XO
Suzy0 -
Hi Sherri,
Congratulations! How wonderful that you’re done! And it’s all up from here. I’m figuratively blowing on my New Year’s Eve horn for you. I didn’t start taking the bio-curcumin because my MO says to wait until I’m finished with chemo. I’ve been very tired this round, and nowhere near as bouncy. But I’m still walking and talking and getting through. So that’s what matters. Next infusion is on Tuesday (#3). Can’t wait to ring the done bell, too!
Xoxo
Nan
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Hi Craftylife61
Did you lose all of your hair? Mine is still at the moulting animal stage.
And Suzy - I still have a weird amount of hair on the top, but it comes out if I tug on it. Looks like dandelion fluff. Glad I made you laugh. It’s good medicine
Nan
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Sugar77,
I did actually take the turmeric while I was taking chemo. I started taking it after 5 weeks of watching my glucose rise weekly. It had an immediate positive effect as my glucose levels began dropping weekly. My oncologist at Emory (4 hours away), and my local oncologist, both said it was ok to take while I was on chemo. The chemo I was given was 12 doses of weekly Taxol and also herceptin for a year. I was trip!e positive stage 1. I also took L-glutamine powder 15grams twice a day, Claritin, B6. I also iced my hands and feet 15 minutes before during and after chemo.. All were approved by both oncologists. I have no neuropathy. As for safety of taking any supplements, I do agree it is best to do your own due diligence and follow the advice of your oncologist.I am from the March/April 2016 group.
Wahoomama87 posted some information on L-glutamine on April 29, 2020 in the May 2020 chemo group, if anyone would be interested in reading what she was told. I believe hers was carboplatin and taxotere, not cytoxan.
Paige
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Good morning, ladies. Just thought I'd share the fun I've been going through. I woke up at 3am on Tuesday morning with hives. I'm taking 2 Benadryl tablets every 4 hours and also taking Claritin twice a day and Pepcid (has antihistamine action) twice a day plus my doctor gave me another 3 days of steroids. And I still have the hives. I've woken up itching severely at 2 am the last two nights. So not only am I covered in hives that itch intensely, I'm also sleep deprived. My mouth is so dry from all the antihistamines that it feels like my tongue is a sticker.
I have a daughter who is a doctor and she is the one who told me how much I could take of the over the counter meds. I'm out of the steroid as of today so I'm getting ready to call the doctor to see if she will give me more. I hate taking them but I hate the hives even more. The idea that the hives could be worse without the steroid makes me shudder. I don't want to have a miserable weekend because I didn't get more meds today.
I am not going to want to do my last round of chemo. If this ever clears up, I'm going to be hesitant to do anything again that could trigger it.
Okay, I'll quit whining. I just had to vent somewhere.
Hope all of you are faring better than I am.
Patti
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Patti- the hives sound painful and annoying. I developed something in my left arm after round three, which looked like hives. I think it was a heat or sun thing but the spots were very itchy. I bought a hydrocortisone cream with aloe and it helped some.
I’m one week out from final chemo. Beginning to feel better but I did develop one mouth sore. First time ever having one from chemo so I’m using magic mouthwash prescription from my oncologist. It tastes gross. Hope it clears soon. I’m still on Imodium and hope it passes soon too.
Wishing everyone minimal side effects!!
Sherri0 -
June 1st was my 1st infusion. I really felt well the first few days, except for the IV arm sore. Currently , I am feeling well these last few days, a little tired, but more and more myself.
It is fascinating our different all our experiences are with these drugs. Manageable for me became quite unmanageable on days 5, 6, 7 & 8, they were complete nightmares. I've never felt so horrible, ended up in the ER Sunday night. The main side effects were 1) Arm swollen and red, 2) Heartburn from the devil
and 3) Back and Chest Spasms. Apparently, the spasm side effects may have been due to the Neulasta shot rather than the Chemo, it caused major spasms - this was the worst. The IV pain and muscle relaxant I received at the ER worked GREAT. Stopped the pain, and it has not returned. So relieved.
My arm is healing now and feels much better, I am scheduled for a PIC line next week, so this shouldn't happen again. Dr. prescribed new meds for the back and stomach issues. We are back to into a manageable state.Thank you all for sharing your experiences feel like we are all hanging in together.
I've been connected with more of the hospital's cancer care support services including a nutritionist and Art therapy. I haven't painted in a while; I think that will be good to get back to. Get my brain to focus.
I am going to enjoy next week, hopefully a calm recovery week, the next infusion is the week after. Have a great weekend.
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Hi All,
Sugar, I think I prematurely congratulated you on being done with chemo. Sorry if I confused things. I see in your most recent post you have one left. I will hold on to that congratulations for one more week.
Good luck on your last round.Patti, I am so sorry you are going through the allergic reaction. That sounds scary and miserable. I too would question doing another round if I was having those symptoms. I hope they figure out how to fix that problem for you going forward. Yikes!
CDR, you too...what a scary experience! I am glad it has been resolved and you know it won't happen again. The art therapy sounds lovely. In San Francisco there are many complimentary programs like that available for Breast Cancer patients, but all are unavailable right now because of COVID.
I am 4 days out from treatment 3. I am noticing this time that some of the fatigue is lasting much longer. Round 1 I felt pretty close to 100% in the 3rd week. This time I am very fatigued in the late afternoon and evening still. I guess that part is cumulative. Mornings are good though. I am walking 3 miles each morning, and feel energy until mid afternoon.
Wishing you all as good a week as possible.
XO
Suzy0 -
Suzy - I am done!!! I had my final chemo on June 5th. Have just passed my yucky week and am feeling like my old self. It can only go up from here!!! You only have one left and before you know it, you’ll be done too. Hang in there
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Oops. "One week out" meant one week past, not one week before.
This chemo brain thing is real. Ha ha!
XO
Suzy0 -
Congratulations Sugar, I hope you're feeling great about having chemo behind you! What if anything will be next for your treatment plan?
I'm looking forward to getting there myself! Like Suzy, I'll have my 3rd treatment this week on Thursday, but I've had a bit of a rough couple of days (more mentally in some ways than the actual physical problem) that were going to potentially delay chemo. I've been frustrated as I've done really well this cycle and then on Friday it looked as if my port might be infected. The incision didn't seem to be healing as I would have expected but a few people didn't seem to think much of it and so I assumed it was fine. The tell tale sign though was that directly above the port and then up the tubing seemed to turn pink/red and was itchy - no fever though. Of course it was Friday afternoon ... my MO called me and said the ominous "that does not look good" and said she'd call me back. Then the Interventional Radiology people (resident) called and said come in on Monday morning to get it checked. I so wanted to get it checked that day and live close to the hospital but wouldn't have been an option except in the ER which was sure to be a multi hour wait, and I didn't want to leave my husband with our 3 children unless I absolutely had to (typical mom guilt?!) Then my MO called back and said she wasn't comfortable with the IR wait and see and prescribed antibiotics but thought the port would probably need to be removed and a new one placed. I just want to get through my 4 cycles and really didn't want to have another port placed "just" for the sake of 2 more cycles! The good news is we've found a middle ground I think. I started responding to the antibiotics almost right away - phew - didn't need to go to the ER at all over the weekend and was seen by IR fellow and attending this morning who also talked directly with my MO. The conclusion is continue antibiotics, have chemo on Thursday, and then get port removed next week because it looks like it is a risk for coming through the skin - what?! Then for my final chemo I'll have a picc line placed for a day or two. They said I could probably get it in and out the same day as chemo. All to say, not the hiccup I was hoping for but hopefully have avoided a more serious issue, can stay on track with chemo, and the silver lining is getting the port out earlier and not having to worry about any of that as a complicating factor. I've definitely felt a little down about this issue as I know people sometimes have ports for years with no problems, but I think the plan sounds reasonable. I'm curious to see if my MO will have me do Neulasta or not this round as I definitely felt better without it this round but of course it's always weighing risks vs benefits. Really appreciate the opportunity to process/vent with this group who "gets" all of this! Hope everyone is doing okay.
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KeepingCalm - I will take some sort of hormone blocker. My oncologist will have a call with me a month from now to get started. I think it will be Tamoxifen first and then a switch to Letrozole a number of years later. That's about it because I had a mastectomy an negative lymph nodes (I had radiation after a previous lumpectomy 10 years ago).
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Good morning, ladies. Hope all of you are doing well. I finally felt pretty close to normal yesterday. That only leaves a few days before I have to go back for round 4, but at least that will be the LAST ONE! I am ready to get this done!
I ended up going to see my doctor about the hives and she gave me a steroid pack that finally took care of the hives. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope like heck that I don't get them again. My doctor was a little hesitant to think it was related to the chemo since they didn't show up until day 9. I understand that but also know I've only had them once before when I was 14. So also hard to think it wasn't related. I guess we will find out. I know one thing for sure. I won't wait to ask for something strong to nix them! Dang, was that a miserable nightmare!
Sherri, I imagine you are on the mend and loving the realization that you are all finished! I wish you all the best going forward! So will your follow up care in terms of monitoring you be any different since you had this recurrence? Does that make you any higher risk for another recurrence or is the risk still the same? I worry about that a lot since my tumor was grade 3. I wonder if I will ever be free of that concern. I fear it will always be in the background of my mind. Do you have those concerns?
CDR, that wound miserable! I do think my reactions from the Neulasta have gotten less with each round. Do they think the IV soreness was a local reaction to the chemo? I've read that can happen. Do you get premeds to help with reactions? My doctor added two premeds because I was concerned about that. I get Dexamethasone and Aloxi (for nausea) which are standard but I also get Benadryl and Pepcid with are the additional meds. I haven't had any major reactions unless you count the hives, which started day 9, so who knows?
I hope your next round goes better! Taking art classes sounds lovely! All of the breast cancer support classes around here (central IL) have been shut down because of covid-19. I feel like I missed out. Kinda sucks.
Suzee, you are right. Chemo brain is very real! Just hang in there. Sounds like you are just behind me in the schedule. We will be done before we know it! I'm so thankful I only have to have 4 rounds. I have several friends who were given 16-17 chemo rounds for breast cancer. I don't know how they determine who gets what treatment but I'm happy withwhat my doctor decided. It would be depressing to think I was only a quarter of the way through!
KeepingCalm, I'm so sorry you are going through all the trouble with your port. That sounds miserable. I hope you get it all straightened out and have no more troubles for your last rounds.
I have just had an IV each time. I wonder why some get a port and some don't for this treatment plan? Maybe it's just the doctor's preference? I don't know. I was questioning that a bit when it took them three tries to get my IV started on the first round, but thankfully I haven't had that problem since then.
Hope you are all having a good week!
Patti
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Thank you so much Patti! As for the port vs no port for TCx4 my understanding at least from my MO’s standpoint is that doing it through veins for me would be a risk, albeit small, of lifelong lymphedema because of having the bilateral mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy.
As a general group update, it's been a bumpy week after feeling pretty good the previous two. When I met with my MO before chemo yesterday, she still didn't think my port looked great and said that she wanted me seen by the Interventional Radiologists again. So the short of it is, we delayed chemo and I had the port taken out yesterday after a long day of hanging around the hospital alone in a consult room fasting so that they could squeeze me in for the procedure late in the day. Had to have a Covid test for the first time which is now required before any procedures. That was momentarily unpleasant for sure and then wasn't able to leave the hospital bc I could theoretically get Covid in transit before the port removal! And unfortunately I have to have another Covid test this weekend in preparation to get a Picc line placed this Wednesday for my last two treatments because it's got to be within 5 days - Oy! The good news is (covid was negative) and MO and IR decided no need for a new port for the sake of 3 weeks but rather a Picc line would work well and can be taken out the same day as the last chemo. So while I had hoped not to delay chemo and only have the Picc line for a day for the last one, I am relieved to have the port out and hopefully 3 weeks with the Picc won't feel that long in the scheme of things. Also, fortunately, while IR said it's good we took the port out, it was not so infected as to require the wound clinic - thank goodness! Now continuing antibiotics for another 10 days to make sure I'm in good shape. Trying to keep marching along through all of this but definitely thought yesterday how much we all have to do alone as a result of Covid - I signed the consent for the port removal and was wheeled into the procedure room with no one there from my family - a strange feeling! Hoping I'll heal quickly and chemo will be uneventful next week.
Suzee, disappointed time be off dates with you now ... will definitely be envious when you finish July 9th! Hope your chemo went well yesterday and that the side effects don’t have you down for too long. Thinking of you0 -
Patti - yes, I'm feeling better by the day and am so glad to be done chemo. You'll be there before you know it too! In terms of monitoring, I don't think it'll be much different than before. It was actually a new primary and not a recurrence. Last time it was triple negative so there was no hormone treatment afterward. This time, it's ER+ and PR+ so I'll be starting hormone blockers in July. I think I'll be taking tamoxifen first and then changing to letrozole after. I have a call with my oncologist at the 4-week mark after chemo (in two weeks). This time I've had a double mastectomy so no more mammograms. I guess I'l learn more about follow up when I have the call with my oncologist.
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Hi everyone,
Been on vacation (sleeping off chemo) for the past week. Yesterday was the worst so far. I haven’t felt that sick since I had the flu 20 years ago. To top it off, last night my temp went up to 101. So I called the after hours doctor line and got the answering service. And the doctor never called me back! After about two hours, I took two Tylenol and went back to bed. I was too sick to deal with it. Probably not the best approach, but fortunately the Tylenol worked and I took my temp at 2am and it was 99.5. Yay. Guess it’s a bad idea to get sick on Saturday night on the first day of summer on Cape Cod. LOL.
What a horrible time you’ve had with the port, KC! And to keep you hanging around hungry all day at the hospital! Damn Covid! Re: port vs. IV - I got a port because the veins in my arm are so hard to find, they have to use my hand to do blood work. Doing chemo would have been torture. They installed the port when they did the mastectomy so it was healed up pretty well by the time they had to use it, thankfully. It’s very close to the surface, and it still hurts a bit when I touch it. I’ll be glad to get rid of it when this is over. It’s convenient, but ...
Okay, going back to bed now. Day 6 today so maybe tomorrow will be better? I can’t believe after the first And second round, I was walking miles by this point. Now I feel like a complaining slug! Ugh - sorry.
Nan
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