August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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Sweeney,
Just want to say that I adore your attitude...you are a bright light on these boards. Thank you for keeping it real and upbeat! Enjoy the crop circles!
Have a great night,
Michelle
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ladyinbama, I'm on Adria/Cytoxan. I get Taxol next and they warned me about the tearing and constant runny nose SE. Maybe my chemobrain thinks its on Taxol;-) The onc did not seem surprised by it on these drugs and I don't want to look up the SE for fear I'll catch some more... Sorry about the acne - I did hear that was common in Taxol too, but I see you're on the FEC part so I guess anything goes.
Carolyn
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MomMichelle- you just made me feel so good about myself. what a gift. Thank you a million times over. XO
p.s will report back on crop circles tomorrow.
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Hi Ladies, been a busy week for me, between work, appointments and stepsons football games hardly time for much else. One se I noticed more after my 2nd tx is nothing tastes good all week lol now that is one se that I don't mind. At 1st I kept thinking it was the food, I'd say does this taste right to you I think there is something missing till the 3rd time then it was like crap it is me not the food. Kinda hard to eat when nothing has taste. I could stand to loose 15lb. and food not tasting good could help. I know what your thinking, now is not the time to worry about diet, so yes I will try to keep up on the nutrition. Have a good weekend everyone. Sunday night I get to take in a Bret Michaels concert with 6 of the funnest girls I know.
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So, I went into chemo on Thursday with a slight sore throat. Then, of course the chemo killed all my wbc's, and today my throat is on FIRE. I had to do a show, too! I stopped singing and just mouthed the words at the end of the show. I had Neulasta today, so I'm hoping I will get some more wbc's to kick this cold in the ass.
So, so tired...
On the bright side - everyone keeps telling me what a hero I am. And I don't have to work hard to make people like me.
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I have #4 AC on Monday and mu DH leaves for Denver Monday early AM until thursday late PM. Whine whine whine. He kjust got home at midnight last night, thursday. I am accoustomed to him traveling but I really enjoyed him beimg home in July and August.
When I go for Taxol in two weeks he will be home that day, His schedule changes really fast but I told him it was really impportant. I won't be able to drive. What on earth do people do who don't have a ride?
I sure hope I feel okay this week. I forgot that proper rehydration fluids wewre really a necessity after the food ppoisoning I really did feel so bad and wasn't thinking straight enough to say help to anyone. I sort of stumbled around the house. I was drinking bottles of ice tea because they were right in front of me and I could get them open.
I think this tells me I need to make plans for being alone and not feeling well. Plans that include easy to get at fluids and protein containing foods. I did have one carton of cottage cheese and that was SO very good. I need to think of what food and drink to have in the house. Ideas? Prepared is fine.
I am decades older than some of you and I would think I had already learned these lessons but here I am on lessons #1224 I always expected to be a lifelong learner but this is .....like stubbing my toe over and over and not learning to pick up my foot.
PS my husband can't take a leave or anything like that, business is dog eat dog these days and he who snoozes loses. Realy of today. Government jobs may be different.
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Gingerbrew--life long learner or stagnate! We do a lot of cooking from scratch around here and rarely feed fewer than 5, but fwiw, a few ideas: turkey ham (not too big for one person), boiled eggs (buy pre boiled or do the batch, they keep in the shell), trail mix or granola (I make mine, but there are plenty of lower salt etc options on the shelf. Bonus fiber frm the dried fruit). I am sure some one will come in with which thing to drink that is better than water for hydration. I can't ever remember that.
Ladyin Bama--No, I took it as a joke! My sister lives in the South, and married her a big ole husky southern boy { how am I doing?
}. Actually they are not as far south as you are, but his people are from Alabama, and he has got a mess o' relatives down there in a certain little town. I do some genealogy reasearch on the side, and I found those folks for him. I need to tell you that I don't think that town has enough folks in it to have a good fist fight! Don't worry though, I haven't forgotten that just 'cause the cat had kittens in the oven, that don't make 'em muffins! How is that for a (south) Jersey Girl? And Wherria, you are right, spelling is important! Y'all gave me a giggle, hope y'all get one back!0 -
I'm loving the y'all talk! I'm from Oklahoma, which most people don't think of as southern per se, but we talk the talk! I live in Chicago now, and still say y'all and other such southernisms -- have since God was a boy! (How's that?), and it's kinda homey here on this thread to hear the lingo! I get looks in Chicago, even though most of my accent has faded, except when I talk to my family by phone, then it comes right back. Or, my dh says, when I get upset!
Boost and Ensure have high protein drinks, they are always helpful for when your throat's on fire, or when food doesn't taste right, or when you're too nauseous to eat real food. And Gatorade, Gatorade, Gatorade for hydration -- it's got the electrolytes you need like salt and potassium. There's even a low sugar kind called G2 if you're worried about that or empty calories. Pedialyte is another good option, less sugar, and not as strong a flavor, if you prefer. If you're vomiting or having diarrhea, you can't drink too much Gatorade. You can, however, drink too much water, as others have discussed. If you drink TOO much water, you end up with lower concentrations of sodium and potassium.
Couldn't sleep last night. Been up since three. Took an Ativan to try and sleep some more, but it didn't help. Having too many racing thoughts. The good news is that I don't feel nauseous at the moment, though it often starts a little later in the day, and the bad news is, I think my mouth is getting all messed up again. I have that pre-mouth sore, scalded feeling.
Please no more mouth sores!!! Please!!!Hope everyone wakes up to a bright and cheery morning. For some reason I'm about to break out in song from the musical Oklahoma! so I'll sign off and spare y'all!
Hugs {{{ }}}}
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Oh yeah, forgot to mention, my onc told me that the acne is from the steroids much more than the chemo, although, Taxol, may be the exception to that. But if acne is a real problem, and you think it might be okay for you, you could talk to your onc about lowering your steroid dose.
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Morning everyone!
I got the acne too with the first treatment. Went lovely with the period from hell..lol! And I didn't even have acne as a teenager. Oh, the joys of chemo! I seem to have been successful at limiting the breakouts after treatments 2 and 3 by incessant face washing.
Iowasue, funny that you like the no taste thing. I get that too, for about a week after treatment. I guess the first two times it wasn't bad, but it got so annoying after this last treatment that I ran around town to delis and 7-elevens for half hour the other night looking for Lifesavers, I thought I could probably taste them and I wanted to taste something! Funny though, I couldn't find any. Don't they make just plain Lifesavers anymore? My taste is coming back now, so I guess it is okay.
Sweeney- I am with you on the hockey. Long suffering Islander fan here. But hopefully this year with your young Canadians that we got last year (Matt Moulson and John Tavares) our time is coming this year! Bought tickets yesterday for me and my son to go to the home opener on October 9...can't wait for the season to begin!
Okay, gotta go wake up my son, soccer game at 8:30. Weather should be great here, a little chilly now. Hope everyone has a great day today!
Debbi
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wherriaI dislike the baking soda/salt (tsp each in glass warm water by onc swears by b/c baking soda does not taste good when you're queasy. I have to say I started back up with them religuosly the sores which were just starting were gone within 2 days.I use the biotene moutwash which is soothing and toothpaste too b/c the mint ones sting. I think it would've been bad because I had some on the roof of my mouth, but both sides of my tongue became inflamed and the skin got thick. Luckily it regressed with the frequent rinses and gargles. Hope this helps. I got the magic mouthwash but it looked so aversive to me while I was nauseous I decided the baking soda was the lesser of the two evils. Hope this helps and that the nausea stays at bay for you.
I get my neulasta in an hour (yay). Oddly I feel fine until about d 7 when I feel like an arthritic 90 year old for afew days. the onc said this is when I'm building up marrow and since I have "young healthy marrow" it hurts more. Glad something on this body is young and healthy right now;-)
Carolyn
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ckptry: Thanks. I've been using biotene toothpaste and mouth rinse and the baking soda/saltwater rinse prophylactically, because after my first Tx the entire inside of my mouth and throat were completely covered in sores (and I was using all the rinses then too, but the sores seem to be coming anyway.Well, maybe not. Maybe, if the timing is right, my immune system will kick in in time to ward off the worst of it. Gotta have hope! You're right about the Miracle mouthwash tasting bad, but sometimes it helps (once you already have the sores -- it doesn't prevent the). Anyway, thanks and good luck with your Neulasta shot. I've noticed that my bone pain has not been as bad this time. Still there, but not as crippling. Hope yours is better too.
And I just love your picture! You look beautiful!
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Hi guys! I just wanted to share a good thing that happened to me today..really makes you appreciate the good in human beings. As we are all well aware, for many reasons, our lovely breast cancer diagnosis is a financial burden. How bad it gets I guess depends on your insurance and how good your finances were before the diagnosis. Anyway, last night I sat down like I do every month trying to make the income equal the expenses. I came to the conclusion after staring at the numbers a while that it was not going to work, no matter how hard I tried. So, I began the process of prioritizing the bills, pay the ones I could and figure the rest out later. Well, as I told everyone earlier, my son had a soccer game this morning. When I got to the game, my friend approached me with an envelope and said it was from the team. Inside was the sweetest card I think I have ever read, and a whole lot of cash! She said that they all felt bad that they could not help me on a daily basis because of the geographic distance between all of us (all the kids come from over a wide area, not the same town) but they thought that the cash might be helpful. Well, me who never cries, was in instant tears. Little did they all know how perfect that was at this time and how much it meant.
I know we have all probably experienced the good in people since our diagnosis, but I just wanted to share this with everyone as proof, when sometimes we forget, that we are not alone and our friends, family, and neighbors really are great people!
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sptmm - that is just lovely. What a wonderful surprise.
I am, for the first time in a long performing career, calling in sick to a performance tonight. I think the combination of the chemo on Thursday, and coming down with a cold at the same time, has just left my immune system ravaged. I am having a hard time getting out of bed to eat my chicken noodle soup. My muscles all hurt. I have no voice whatsoever and my throat is still killing me - my tonsils are swollen and red. So, I just sent an email to the stage manager telling her I won't be able to come in tonight. I feel so terrible aabout it. I have always been the one who can go on no matter what! I have awakened with no voice before, but been able to get through a musical that night. I have been puking in the backstage bathrooms due to food poisoning, and still been able to go on. But, today it just isn't going to happen. I'm rather upset. :-(
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lisasinglem- Please take care of yourself first at a time like this your body is telling you that you need lots of rest right now please listen to it before you get really sick and have to miss a whole lot more shows, and yes I am being your mother right now. big (( HUG))
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Lisa: Sometimes we [you] have to accept the fact that the chemo is going to win the battle, even if it's the battle of SE's vs. feeling ok. Keep the faith that chemo is going to win the battle for your health in the long term. Remember, next year at this time you will be preparing to sing your brains out and this weekend will be a distant memory. If chemo is killing the cancer cells it is also attacking our good ones and the big difference is that you will have shiny new cells to show for all this misery you are suffering from right now. Hang in there and rest to get ready to make all those new and improved cells that will heal all ills including a sore throat. Enough Polyanna for ya?
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Hi everyone,
Just need to vent for a second. I don't do this often....but it's important. I FEEL LIKE CRAP. I'm taking care of my kids b/c my husband's out of town, flying back in tonight around 1am. Zella cracked her head open on a plastic doll house and there was blood everywhere (keeping an eye on it so we may end up in the ER), Max has announced that he wants to be circumcised (he's 4 yrs old!!!!), the dog is barfing profusely b/c he ate the muffins I made. AND DID I MENTION I FEEL LIKE CRAP??? I had my 3rd tx yesterday and thought I would be fine, last time I held Zella's birthday party on the day after tx. This third round though has me dead, I just want to go to bed. Sorry. Rant over. Just not myself today.
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Sweeney,
Even though I so know it is not funny, isn't it crazy how when it rains it pours? I am sorry you are having struggles. I am a little PO'd at you, where the heck is the information on crop circles? Just joking. Hang in there! Good thoughts and strength going your way for your hubby to get home fast and no ER visits! Hugs!
Lisa,
Definitely take it easy. I night or two missed now for a lifetime of nights is worth it! Rest, hydrate, and be good to yourself. You deserve it! Prayers your way for a speedy recovery and an opportunity to show off your talents soon! Hugs!
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Lisa: Have you called your doctor? You must let them know, a sore throat could mean infection.
Sweeney: Sorry, but I'm ROFLMAO. A 4-year-old who knows what it means to be circumcised? Or maybe he doesn't know and that's why he wants it?
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I know. I know. My four year old is piece of work. He saw other boys at daycamp this summer and they "looked different". Now he wants it too. We have lots of conversations about "would it hurt?" YES. BLOODY HELL YES. To which 7 year old Zella answered- "the doctor would have to use a KNIFE Max". All this while her head is gushing blood, I'm nauseous and weaving and cursing out my saint of a husband for not being able to catch an earlier flight. I swear to god I am going to lie in bed all day tomorrow and eat snickers bars. I love you guys, really really I do. XO
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Lisasinglem: I am so sorry you weren't able to make your performance. I know you must feel terrible about it. And I'm sure you're missing the thrill of the stage as well. I wish there were something I (we) could say that would take away how you're feeling. All we can do is be as sympathetic and consoling as possible and wish you a very fast recovery. I am glad, though, that you are taking care of your body, and let me just say that I'm pretty damned impressed that it took cancer and chemotherapy to make you miss even a single performance! {{{BIG HUGS}}}
Sweeney: I'm so sorry for you too, that you're feeling so poorly and having the day you're having. BAD DAY! I wish you could wake up and realize it was just a bad dream, and you're really lying, comfy and cozy in bed surrounded by Snickers bars and your dh is there with the kids fed, bathed, and in bed, and he's holding out a boquet or bright pink roses! Good luck with Zella, and {{{HUGS}}} to you too!
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{{{{Lisa}}}}} As an old costume lady I know what it meant for you to miss a performance. I am so sorry you don't feel well. Remember to hydrate with the right stuff not just water. I got really weak with water last week. I agree about calling the Doc, says she who doesn't herself.
{{{{{Sweeney}}}} Someday today will be looked back with amusement. About 150 years from now. Happy Snickers
Ginger
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Lisa- I'm hoping you're comfortable and well rested tonight. I'm also hoping that you're not beating yourself up over this...I'm still in complete awe that you've been going so strong for so long. You deserve the break. Sleep well.
Lovely ladies who've virtually hugged me- thank you. Husband is now on the plane. 4 year old is asleep. 7 year old just said, "You're the Mommy of the day, Mom".
Lizzy- You've been quiet. I hope it's not SEs. I hope you're off leading your glamourous life! Don't forget to fill us in on all the details...
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sweeney I'm sorry you had rough day! I had tx # 3 yesterday and was retching last night. My 5 yo got up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5am this morning. As soon as I'm awake the nausea starts so I was up too. I think it's a side effect of the whole cancer/chemo thing I hate but he loves b/c he gets an early morning playmate; adhd so sleep has never been his strong point. I got neulasta this morning and something just hit me like a brick. I slept for 5 hrs today (wonderful dh was home) and feel better so I wish the same for you tomorrow! I had to laugh b/c he made the kids dinner and I heard my daughter say 'I don't wike chilled cheese, it's soo boring!' (grilled cheese)and a plate slide across the table and hit the floor. That was my cue to get up before there was a mutiny. So funny you mentioned snickers, they had them at the onc center and I ate them while getting chemo:-) Hope tomorrow's a better day and you're in bed with a good book surrounded by candy wrappers (remember that's my secret vice;-). Glad you didn't have to get stitches for your daughter. Your 4 yo old sounds like a character,lol. Get a good night sleep, no late night crop circle studies!
lizzy I hope you're out and about and not run down from chemo too
lisa sorry you're not feeling well, but glad you stayed home to take care of yourself. It probaly is a good idea to call the onc if you feel worse now
wherria hope you are feeling better too!
sleepy again, don't know what happened to my steroid high but think I'll go down after the kids are tucked in. night y'all;-)
Carolyn
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Oh Lisa I forgot.....gargle with salt water every half hour.... thats what I do when I start getting a sore throat and it always goes away.
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Round 3 AC has knocked me for a loop too. I have heard other people say that. Needless to say I'm dreading round 4! =:O I felt like crap most of yesterday (day 6 post chemo) and had to take two different anti-nauseas. I fell asleep three times.
I did walk in the evening and began to feel much better later in the day but most of the day I felt as if I had the flu. I'm hoping yesterday is not an indication of the rest of this week......I'm trying really hard not to think about #4 ac.
lisa - I would call your doctor on the sore throat. It could be strep and you don't want to mess around with something like that now, especially if antibiotics could take care of it quickly.
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Lisa: Sorry you are feeling so poorly, hope this morning finds you feeling better. I can only imagine, based on what you have gone through so far to perform, how difficult it was for you to miss last night's performance. But you absolutely did the right thing. Even a simple sore throat can get serious very fast in a chemo ravaged body! Like others though, I would urge you to call your onco, especially if you have a temp of even just 100. Like I said before, these simple infections can go downhill very fast in a body without an immue system.
Sweeney: Yesterday must have been soooo difficult. I applaud you for the patience it must have taken dealing with the little ones while you felt so horrible. As a mother myself I can envision you feeling like crap and trying to smile through it, so as not to worry the kids too much...trying to convince them to sit nice and watch cartoons while you lay down. I hope your husband is home now, and that you are feeling better. You are "SUPERMOM OF THE DAY" for yesterday!
Calamtykel: Hope you too are feeling a little better. I know my third round was the most difficult thus far for me to. I was sooo happy leaving working on Friday, just knowing I had made it through the week and it was over! I don't know your treatment schedule, but as for me I only have one more to go, so instead of dreading treatment #4 I just keep telling myself it will all be over after one more treatment! No matter how bad I feel, I will be skipping out of that treatment center on October 1, celebrating the fact that it is all over! Hopefully you only have one more to go to.
As for me, I finally experienced that sleepless night you guys have all been complaining about. I woke up last night at 2 a.m. and just laid there all night trying to go back to sleep. Finally gave up at 8 this morning, figuring it wasn't going to happen. Hopefully by the time tonight hits I will be exhausted and it won't happen again!
Okay, on to Church. I will say a prayer for everyone not feeling well, hope today is a better day and we all have a chance to enjoy!
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Good morning Chemosabes! Hope everyone is doing okay.
I was just wondering about something and thought y'all might indulge me. It's too much to go back and look at everybody's diagnosis stories, but I am wondering out of all of us, how many were diagnosed by way of a routine mammogram. I was. I was thinking about it, because I was thinking about how lucky I am to have even had a routine mammogram at my age. It was just after my 39th birthday, but I've been getting them since I was 33 because I had an autoimmune disease which caused my ovaries to fail and put me in premature menopause (hence the no children). The whole thing made my getting cancer more rare than usual, especially at a relatively young age, because first, having an autoimmune disease (and I have three of them) means that your immune system is working in overdrive, so it should have actually provided me with more protection against cancer, and second because my body was producing so little estrogen from such a young age (and mine is ER+ 98%), that too should have given extra protection. But that's all beside the point. I suppose I could research the question and find statistics on how breast cancers are diagnosed, but I was just interested in doing a little survey among us. Thanks in advance for indulging me, if you don't mind.
Another question.... Does anybody else experience this? Sometimes, I'll be doing fine, nausea-wise, feeling normal, and then suddenly, kind of like the way a hot flash happens, I'll just get this huge wave of nausea that comes over me, sometimes causing me to vomit, sometimes not, and then it goes away. It's different from those times when I just have that low to mid-level constant nausea. Anybody else have this, and if so, have you been able to link it to anything? Happened to me just a few minutes ago while I was reading posts, had to throw up, but feel back to normal now. Weird.
I have a dilemma I could use your advice on. This evening in Chicago, there is a huge event with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. My hubby and I are regular goers, and I follow the progress and news of the CSO and am a huge fan. This season we (the CSO, that is) have a new and very promising maestro, Riccardo Mutti. There has been much excitement about his taking over the symphony, and tonight is his debut concert, preceded by a performance of the Chicago Children's Chorus of which I am also a fan. It is a free concert to be given at Millennium Park (formerly Grant Park), which is a beautiful, huge park right off the loop looking out onto Lake Michigan. An outdoor venue, obviously with a wonderful stage and surprisingly good acoustics. You take your lawn chairs and blankets and picnic baskets or whatever, and sit on the lawn to enjoy the concert with friends and lots of people, families around you. I've been looking forward to this concert for a long time, as I have been eager to get a feel for Mutti, and love the idea of being at his inaugural performance. Here's the but... I have a sore throat and thrush, with some indications that mouth sores are on their way. I'm not concerned about the thrush, but the sore throat? And mouth sores that could indicate an infection brewing? I haven't checked my temperature yet today because I started drinking hot coffee before it occurred to me to take it. Last night it was only 99.1, and I have run a low-grade fever between 99.1 and 99.9 all throughout chemo so far. So, obviously, I will monitor how I feel and my temperature as the day goes on, but do y'all think I would be crazy to go (the weather will likely be chilly and moist), or is this no more risky than going to the grocery store with a sore throat and mild fever? Maybe less risky than that, come to think of it, because grocery stores are full of germs and sick people! Anyway, I'd appreciate your input. Thanks.
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Lisa: So sorry you are feeling that poorly. I'm sending healing prayers your way.
Sweeney: You ARE the Mommy of the day! Doesn't it almost bring you to tears when your kids tell you something like that?
Wherria: That sounds like such a fun night out and something you could really use. Can you keep your distance from people and keep the hand sanitizer in your hand at all times?
Mammograms ... I had one in March 2009, age 42, that showed I had a spot where my tumor was so they sent me for more imaging on a different (better?) machine. That one said I was fine and sent me home. I had a breast exam in October 2009 and also was told I was fine. My mammogram in April 2010 showed nothing at all. But thankfully, the technician recommended an MRI since I had dense tissue and a family history of bc. Interesting, eh? My dr's office called and gave me the CHOICE to have the MRI.
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GOOD MORNING CHEMOSABES!!!!
Yesterday was NOT an SE-free day! It was not too bad but they did let themselves be known.
Ladyinbama: 14 again is good, no?!
ckptry: I am so sorry you are having such an awful side-effect. I woke up biting the insides of my mouth...it was really weird...obviously a stress reaction to this stuff. I am glad you are on such a nice high! I am down from the roids gladly. It is nice to sleep again.
Somanyblessings: I am sorry you are having such a hard time. I am very glad you have a good support system around you.
Iowa: question: I am definitely in the ‘nothing tastes good' camp already. Obviously there is going to be weight loss. Do you know if they will stop us from getting chemo if weight-loss is an issue? I had not heard of that but thought I would ask while we are on the subject.
Sweeney: sorry you are not feeling well. I was NOT too well yesterday. This is super gross!!!!!!! Oh girls...what did we get ourselves into!? I tease these 2 guys at work that I "caught" bc from them as I was fine before we all sat together! One must make light. I have to say, and if I did not before, I give it up so much to you and all of you who are raising children and going through this tremendous 2-3 months of txs. What a challenge and what super women you are. Sadly I have no clue how I would fare under such circumstances. I am sure it would not be as good as y'all have handled it!
Lisasinglem: I am so happy you are taking the night off. I know it must break your heart but the rest is such a requirement. I hope you get to feeling better very soon.
Wherria: ultrasound because did not want RADS exposure of a mammo! Sure enough, it was found through ultrasound and confirmed by mammo and biopsy. First mammo 38, second one, begrudgingly, at 40. Someone said it: we are a young group = early detection. Good stuff
UPDATING: I will update the lists later today.
Adey: GOOD LUCK TOMORROW
A few things: 5 more of these?! I am fading fast!!!! I feel like I sound like such a baby compared to you guys but I am surprised by this stuff! I am still working out (if 20 minutes on the recumbent bike is a workout!) and lifting weights but nothing crazy. Just trying to keep on. I remember my father go so sick from chemo he fell on the floor in his bedroom. I was 27 years old at the time and I was in from NYC for the weekend. I will never forget that so I WORK my legs every, every day.
Alas I am convinced we are all heroes in some way and I think we need one, big COLLECTIVE CAPE given to the entire LOT of us this week!
Girls, I hope you all are doing well-
Your (semi) FEARLESS Leader!0
