Chemotherapy for Stage IV
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I have started a thread of my own, Between the devil and the deep blue sea because I post so many places and didn't want to have to write the same thing over and over. Yesterday was my lst dose of The Red Devil, adriamycin. I have managed to avoid it all these years even though I know a lot of women with BC start off with it right away. Hope you are all doing well. Marybe
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I had my first 2 Gemzar chemos last month, then a week off. Went in for my Aredia and chemo Tuesday; didn't get my chemo because my white blood count was too low; only 1.4.
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Marybe, thats a tough drug, but thankfully they have many ways to help with the side-effects. So, speak up to your nurses and make sure you stay as comfortable as possible. PS I HATED peeing red...lemon suckers, helps keep the taste out of your mouth...PS I remember tasting metal, and the nurses saying to gargle with salt water to avoid mouth sores, well the salt was (I think) causing my silver fillings in my mouth to put that yucky taste in my mouth...I stopped the gargling of salt and never got mouth sores, just wanted to mention that to you, if you taste metal...do you have any old silver fillings??? (((hugs))) Terri
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Hi Ladies, sorry to have to join this group. CT scan last week showed multiple lung mets that are still quite small. Have to see the onc on Tuesday. I suspect he will want to do more chemo. Any questions I should ask? I would really appreciate advice as the FEC and Docetaxol nearly killed me first time around.
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I have had no SEs yet, not even red pee, but I am soooooo tired I could just go to sleep right now if I closed my eyes. Also I was constipated for a few days,but took some senacot that I had left over from other treatments and now I am fine. Tomorrow I get treatment #2. Terri, Do I have any old silver fillings?...heck, I bet the ones I have are older than you are.....in all my molars. I have never had anything make me feel sleepy like this.
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Has anyone had bone mets and been prescribed percocet? If so, did you take them during chemo?
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Hi my sister has had two lots of intrathecal chemo for leptomeningeal mets. She has had a drastic reduction in pain. She has has some falls and they have decided today that these are related to a spinal met pressing on nerves. She is going to carry on with chemo through a lumbar puncture and have rads for the spine. Just wanted to let you know that this treatment can really work to help with pain, the side effects have not been as bad as iv chemo. Best wishes to all of you x
ps she did regularly take percoset when on chemo clarissa x0 -
Clarissa: I live on Lortab.... Percocet... whatever makes our pain tolerable so we can continue to function. Doesn't affect chemo. Cyn: That's interesting; didn't know about that for mets.. I know radiation helped my spine a lot and the pain!
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Hi karen, they decided to do chemo into lumbar puncture sfter they found cancer cells in cerebral spinal fluid. Maybe the side effects aren't so bad as it doesn't go through the rest of your system? Thanks for the hope that the rads can help with spinal mass. Very best wishes to you, you keep taking those pain meds!
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Thank you Cynsister and TexasKaren. I received a call today to go to a consultation for radiation to the spine, but it was for the same time as my preop appointment for the port. I'm not even sure now if it's the spine. I was having pain in the lower back when I tried to stand and bend from the back. Now, when I start to walk, I sometimes lose balance and have to grab a wall or something to stay on my feet. It's very quick but seems to be on the left/right sides of the spine and near the middle of my back. I'm not going to work this week or next week 'cause I'm afraid of falling.
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Clarissa that sounds horrible. When do you start your treatment? Have they identified mets in your spine? I really hope your chemo helps with your pain. Will you be able to get another appointment with the rad onc soon? Hope so, so you get the weakness sorted too. Best wishes clarissa
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I start treatment Friday (if the muga scan from today shows that my heart is strong enough). I do have mets from the neck down to the lower spine and to some ribs. Thank you.
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Was originally was diagnosed with Stage 1 BC in 1999. I had a mastectomy, reconstruction, chemo with Adriamyacin/Taxotere and then 5 yrs. of Tamoxifen. Well, in Aug. of this year my cancer came back as a pleural effusion. I had about 8 liters drained off my lung over a couple of weeks. I still have a pleurex cathether that I drain every other day. It also has spread to the omentum in my abdomen. Have started out on Femara and just had a PET scan last week that showed no new disease and everything else is stable. For now no chemo but I know it is in my future!
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Marybe, here is a remedy to prevent mouth sores. 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of baking soda in 4 cups of water. Swish and spit several times a day and the solution is good for 24 hours. Good luck with the Red Devil! i pray this is the one for you. Sending you warm hugs Dawn
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Hint for mouth sores with "Red Devil" Adriamycin for anyone out there....... ask your onc nurses to let you have a cup of ice .... start sucking on it about 5 mins before they start the infusion, and continue throughout the infusion, keeping your mouth icy cold during the whole treatment. Works like "cold cap" for hair. Mouth cells are "cold" and don't uptake the chemo. I did this the whole time on it and never had any mouth sores.
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Than's a very good way. I solve it by eating watermelon almost every day during my treatment. It did work, but I think I was eating it too much, then I got my stomach upset after treatment. I was unable to drink anything which is not hot(warm is not enough), and unable to eat salad, uncooked fruit, i.e.evething must hot. I did a lot effort to solve this degistive problem. Finally, it was solved. I can eat anything now.
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I have also done what Texaskaren recommends but with frozen pineapple chunks. I read that not only does keeping the mouth cold (I was told at least during the first ten minutes of the infusion) but that pineapple has a certain enzyme which passes into the walls of the mouth and protects. So far it has worked but I realise that I might not have had mouth sores anyway - as with all these things, who can tell? I shall be taking my frozen chunks next time, though.
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just started chemo yesterday. so far so good- praying that it's effective.
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Good luck Clarissa, here's hoping the side effects go easy on you!
Dawn
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I had the port put in a couple of days ago. Has anyone experienced problems with shooting pains up the neck? Yes, I do have bone mets. When I fall asleep, I get a sharp pain up the opposite side of the neck where the port was placed. I almost feel like a "bobble head," like my neck can't hold up my head and it's quick.My onc's out til Tues. but I'll call another part of my team. It hurts to get off the rad table as well (treatment to lower back). I was just wandering what others' experiences are/were. Blessings.
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I had my port in about 4 weeks before I got use to it and it stopped feeling strange. Now I hardly think about it at all.
I was in the hospital for a few days; throat got burned from radiation and I got dehydrated because it hurt to swallow. Had a rapid heart rate too. My oncologist is giving me at least 2 weeks off before starting chemo again, and I have an appointment with a cardiologist because a heart ultrasound is showing one of my heart muscles is pumping too slow.
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Dear mom2acat, sorry that you hurt and had to be in the hospital, but hope that the 2 weeks off of chemo helps. Keeping you in my thoughts....PS: I am mom to a cat too! Love 'em - SUE
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Mom2cat: Sorry about the esophogitis! I'm looking at rads to cervical spine (neck) soon, and I know I'll have it too. I had with rads to lower back, but since the throat and spine are right there, I know it will be worse. Dreading it, but the rads have all done miracles, so I'll suck it up and do it. I hope that you're recovering well now!
I am wishing all of you a very blessed NEW YEARS. Even though we've never met, and are likely never to, I have been truly blessed to have each of you in my lives; your courage, hope and inspiration keeps me going. I wish for all of you many blessings, love, and God's healing light in 2012, and I thank you all !
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Texas Karen - LOVE the verse...so true..thanks for sharing and the well wishes...and right back at ya!
Mouth Sores - I finished my chemo in Sept but did the Baking Soda/Salt rinse ALOT. Never got a mouth sore. Hadn't heard of the ice or frozen pineapple, but will keep in mind next time.
SPINE METS - I too have them, but scans are showing the Chemo stopped the growth, so no Rads yet. My onco says to save the Rads til LAST OPTION, says once you radiate an area, you can't do it again to the same spot down the road. Any1 else heard of that?
Ports - yes, give it time, it will evenually feel like a part of your body. Only se I still get is some itching.
HEART - I too, in middle of my chemo had to be rushed in for a muga as the left ventricle showed low pumping numbers if you will. Saw a Cardo doc, had ultra-sound and EKG stuff....I had also been experiencing REALLY scary heart palps to a point where I was afraid to go to sleep. But Cardo doc said all was fine and I continued w/my chemo. Then, 2nd to last chemo, my Platelets bombed....way down. Had to get blood work everyday for 3 days....it did go back up on it's own, so I didn't have to have infusion/transfusion, I get confused....still! LOL
Maryb - I hope that 'devil' works for you.
TO ALL OF YOU - Keep fighting! Have a safe New Year and I pray for all that 2012 brings hope and encouragement to all of us...BIG HUGZ!
Sue
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I only found this website tonight. I will try to keep this briefer than my intro post
I had stage IIIC IBC in '03. I turned 33 while being treated and wanted to knock out my "care specialist" for sending me a Do it Yourself Will.
I was dx with stage IV mets BC start of Sept. this year. Almost done with 4th month of 6. 3 weeks on one off. Get PET scan in two weeks.
This dx showed extensive bone, and lymph node mets. It is also in my lungs. I am short of breath and have almost no voice. I haven't been able to answer the phones at work for almost 6 mnoths, no one can hear me. It was in my liver, but a CT scan at the end of cycle 2 showerd it was gone.
Just wish me luck on the PET please. There are some things that seem so much better, some that are still there but better, and some that haven't changed or have gotten worse.
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I only found this website tonight. I will try to keep this briefer than my intro post
I had stage IIIC IBC in '03. I turned 33 while being treated and wanted to knock out my "care specialist" for sending me a Do it Yourself Will.
I was dx with stage IV mets BC start of Sept. this year. Almost done with 4th month of 6. 3 weeks on one off. Get PET scan in two weeks.
This dx showed extensive bone, and lymph node mets. It is also in my lungs. I am short of breath and have almost no voice. I haven't been able to answer the phones at work for almost 6 mnoths, no one can hear me. It was in my liver, but a CT scan at the end of cycle 2 showerd it was gone.
Just wish me luck on the PET please. There are some things that seem so much better, some that are still there but better, and some that haven't changed or have gotten worse.
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Tere - I will b praying for ya! Have a safe and happy New Year too!
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Tere: Praying for you too! Let us know how you are doing. Good news on the liver mets, just know that it's working on the others too !!
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Hi All,
My mom was diagnosed with Stave IV Breast cancer on 28-Sep-2011 and she went through the Surgery (Radical Mastectomy) on 5-Oct -2011. Her 12 out of 14 nodes were positive the After that she had 3 chemotherapy on the interval of 21 days. After the third chemo she was coughing and was diagnosed with water in her lunges. They drown some water and sent for the test and found that the cancer infection has reached to her Lunges. Its already spread to brain and bones (5th Rib). Now she is going for chemotherapy every week targeted to control the spread. Already 3 chemotherapies have been done on weekly basis. She if feeling better after each chemotherapy. Her coughing is better and she is feeling much better at the moment.
Anyone with similar situation could suggest how they are doing and handling the things. What kind of treatments they are going through. How and what to eat and what not to eat will also be helpful as healthy diet seems to help a lot.
Happy New Year 2012 to all of you and wish you all see many more new years with you loved once!!
Thanks a lot.!!
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Hans - Happy New Year, sorry about your mom. As you can see, my diag is similar, however, I am triple positive. My onco hit me with chemo 1st. I responded well, no evidence of the cancer for now, so are going ahead with the Bi-lat Mastectomy sometime this month or early Feb.
Glad her cough is better, chemo can work miracles if we can handle the side effects. Best advice I got was to eat lots of protein. (peanut butter is good) It's hard when nothing tastes good tho. I almost lived on bean and cheese burritos or just melted cheese on a tortilla. Gargle with salt/baking soda to help w/dry mouth and taste buds. To help prevent neuropathy, take L-Glutamine. Ginger for the nausea, they have ginger tea, ginger extract, even ginger snaps were always by my bed. For diarhea(sp)...over the counter, but LIQUID, Immodium worked best for me. AND REST...I'm type A, go go go, that was hard for me, to just let my house go and stuff, but it's a must. PLUS, a walk, every day, even if only 15 mins.
I'm sure there is more, but I've been done with chemo since Sept, but still have the 'chemo brain', can't remember stuff....perfectly normal, but drives me crazy sometimes!
Hope this helps and that 2012 brings wonder and joy to your life!
Sue
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