August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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Ginger - my slight wheeze returned when the steroids wore off for few days and now it's gone completely, thankfully (even before I started the decadron again last night). Yours probably left 'cause of the roids too......
I'm going for my 7th and second to last chemo today! Taxol, here I come again! Going to ask for stronger meds for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this time. This will be my LAST neualsta shot! WHOO HOO!!
Had my daughter's birthday yesterday - the house is actually clean. Mom's staying with the kids today and then she'll have them overnight Wed to Thursday during my bad days.......
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sohard -you are socute!!
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Hey everyone- back to the radiation grind this morning. It really is a lot of driving and waiting and radiating. It's a bit of a pain actually! SO far though, no pain, no sun burn, etc. The weekend was tonnes of fun.
Fingernails and Toenails- I have a couple of toenails falling off too. Ick. But it doesn't hurt and there doesn't seem to be any infection. My hands are fine, but I wore ice on my fingers throughout all treatments.
Lizzy- hope you're feeling well and are just busy reading all of your new nursing material!
Texas- don't you move this week??? Which day?
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Sohard: You are rocking that bald head!
I had my first Taxotere this morning. I didn't have any problems during the infusion, thank goodness. So we'll see what the week brings so far as SEs. I already have one thumbnail with a purple spot on it from the FEC, so I'm thinking I may have some nail problems with the taxotere. But if that's the worse that happens, fine with me!
Hang in there everybody. I'm praying we all get through our treatments with few SEs and problems.
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Hi Ladies, I have been away from the site for several days but have thought of you all often. I just read through all of the posts that I have missed and I am hoping everyone is feeling good today. I had my last AC on the Friday before Halloween. So now I am halfway through the chemo. After getting through the worst of the SEs I still was feeling in a funk that I still have another 4 chemos (Abraxane) to go but finally the last day or two I've started to feel better about the fact that at least I am halfway there. I am beginning to get hopeful that Abraxane will be less difficult than the AC was. I had a lot of nausea and loss of appetite with the AC and my onc says that should be much less of a problem on the Abraxane. Normally I get my chemos at my onc's office but due to my severe allergic reaction to Taxotere he wants me to do my first Abraxane at the hospital in case I have an allergic reaction again. It is much less likely to happen with the Abraxane but better safe than sorry! So I will go in for my first Abraxane next Friday (19th) and also resume the Herceptin that day. I had a MUGA scan on Friday and the tech said that it looked really good so that was good news. All of your reports of pain on Taxotere & Taxol are making me nervous about the Abraxane but I guess I will just deal with it as it comes.
Lizzy and Texas That is so awesome that you both are thinking about becoming nurses. It is nice to see something so positive come out of all of this! Wherria It makes me happy to hear that you are thinking of getting a new puppy. I know you will always have love in your heart for Bixby but it is wonderful that you are making room to love a new puppy as well. Sweeney Your report of what rads are like was both amusing and enlightening! LadyinBama I'm glad you finally are able to begin Taxotere! I won't be finishing chemo until late January, how much longer do you have? Hugs to everyone, I think at this point we are all at least half-way through so at least we are on the downhill slope now!
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Hi everyone--I am 4 days post chemo #5--Taxotere #2--and I am feeling tired and a little achey--but other than that, feeling OK. Hopefully this continues--seems to be a little better than last time. I did take Tylenolol 3 last night because my lower back was hurting and now feel all drowsy--I am a baby when it comes to painkillers. Went out to grocery this morning -- I think that is the most I can do today. Hope everyone is doing well.
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Taxol #7 is done. It went like a breeze. They were going to start me at the full speed of 190 cc's But I asked if we could start slow...so they did an hour or so of 50cc's - I had a itching in my mouth and around my lips and the doctor came in and sat with me for a little bit when the nurse reported it (I think I have an awesome doc---) When she listened to my chest, I had my laptop on my lap and an apple core in my hand, I tried to toss the apple across the room to the garbage can so I could hold the laptop while I leaned forward and I completely missed and it hit the wall and spatted. I said "DOH - that was NOT cool! I'm so sorry!" The doctor burst into laughter and didn't stop and thought it was hilarious -- she is too funny!
Anyway, so I guess the itchiness was just a reaction to the meds and not an allergy because I was fine and they increased it and I was fine the rest of the time.
I'm sleepy now - just got dinner in for the kids who are home. I have a prescription for ambian for sleep and tylenol 3 for the leg pain......
The bittersweet part is when I left, I was talking to the nurse about the port. She said that they like to leave it in for a year! WTH??!! I feel like I'm not using that arm as much as I should be - afraid to raise it and use full range of motion in it. A year??! Today I had to raise my arm over my head to get a blood return on it.
I'm really irked - a full year of having a port -UGH!!!!
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Cal - Ask your onc about the port.0
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kel, A year is usually the standard for the port 'just in case'. You don't have to leave it in the full year though, just like some people opt not to get it at all. You may want to see how often you need scans, etc after treatment to decide if it's worth leaving it in a few months. I'm not thrilled with mine- I swear that little bump bothers me way more than the tissue expanders- but I've got awful veins and have to do the year of herceptin...I'm glad your mom's helping out with the kids so you can get some rest.
jsw you must be nervous after hearing us all talk about the bone/ joint pain, but you'll be fine. Just make sure you have a prescription for pain meds in case. I think the abraxane may not be associated with as much bone pain, but because of chemo brain I have no idea how I know that. I finish in january too so we can commiserate together through the holidays;-)
sohard, I thought the same thing when I saw your pic, you have a beautiful face and can really carry bald well !!
ladyinbama so glad you finally got back on the chemo train, hope you're feeling ok.
lizzy, you're quite - hope you are feeling ok and getting some rest
Have a good night all!!!
Carolyn
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Hello everyone. I had my first post chemo appt with the radiation oncologist today. I went to the appt in a good mood, happy to get this phase moving. And I left the appt annoyed, aggravated and in a crappy mood. I like my rads oncologist a lot. I'm just so tired of hearing "well ... we could do __ , or we could do ___, but we don't really know what is best so we do ___". I just don't want to hear that. Treat me the best you can doing what you know now, but don't tell me that you really don't know what is best. I get that it is best to be informed, I'm just tired of it. It doesn't help me to know that they are only guessing at what is best. I'm just feeling like screaming. So tired of this.
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Thanks all, for the bald head compliments... lol..
Hope everyone is in good spirits in spite of...
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Thanks for the port info. It just seems to me that with a slow growing breast cancer, clean scans and bloodwork, that the chances of mets showing up would be AFTER a year. That's what the nurse implied the reason for leaving it in was, and it really put a damper on my mood - "We like to leave it in for a year just in case....well, you know........" really didn't need to hear that today
I would never trust it to be used for scans or bloodwork -- we've had issues with blood return, etc. I'd rather they use my arm veins. It seems a silly reason to leave it in and having it flushed every 4 or 6 weeks, risking blood clots, infection, etc.
Yes, the doctor and I are going to be having a talk about it. Can you tell I hate my port? It doesn't hurt anymore but I have having it there and not aggressively using that arm because I'm afraid of dislodging or moving it.
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I just came home from chemo #6, Taxol #2. Uneventful infusion except had DD a nd Grandbaby with me so we had a lot of visitors to see the cutie baby.
My Onc talked with me about the extreme SE I had and we decided I would stay on Dd and do the Newlasta injection, which you need to be on Dose Dense BUT this time I will be taking Benadryl and Oxycontin before I take the shot and then onging to beat the pain. For my set of conditions the dose dense gives best hope of no reccurance so I am willing to do it, but dang those side effects were harsh. I did not feel well until Saturday 12 days after infusion.
I do have the issue with the nails, what ever they call it, it has come up over the last two days, quickly. I will lose my big toe nail and the one next to it. My finger nails look perfectly fine and I hope I keep them, they aren't fancy but look normal. Isn't it funny how attractive normal and average have become! . My skin has also become dryt, I have had oily skin all of my life, of course I lifed in the humid midwest. I can't understand how Seattle is drier but apparently it is.
I have now lost 7 pounds since the chemo began. I don't mind that at all. My skin looks bad though.
I feel pretty good today, 22 mg of dexamethazone will do that for a girl.
Calamity glad your chemo went well. Hope you beat the pain SE. Ambien can do some funky stuff my very good friend came out of her bedroom and there was company in the house and took her pants off. She isnot the type of person to ever , ever, ever do such a thing. Have you used it before? I have very vivid dreams and I can't imagine what I might do. the sort of story that would be retellable for the next twenty Thanksgiving Dinner "tell alls" that the kids, now grown, seem to love.
Sweeny thanks for the RAds update,
Calamity sounds like a great party, AND a clean house! You find more energy than anyone I know.
SOhard great photo, I am still chicken.
Bama, glad you feel better. You are one of the reasons I agreed to take the dang Newlasta shot. I hope you have smooth sailing from here on in.
Ann97, you are one of the leaders going to Rads. Do you know there is a October Rads board that might be helpful to you fo rmore first hand info, I have gone there to read to prepare myself a bit. I do understand your frustration, wouldn't it be nice if someone could just tell us, This Is The Way To Do It! But Nooo they want us informed. Actually I would be so upset if they didnt inform me, Hah! I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.
Texas are you moving this week? I am so happy you got the apartment.
Hugs everybody,
Ginger
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Zenith-
Toenail infections- on halloween i wore these too high heels and it had irritated my big toe (i never wear heels and all the trick or treat walking just didnt agree with my feet), the last couple days its had been super painful i squeezed the side and YUCK! greenish yello puss came out, i have been cleaning it with peroxide for 2 days and its still red and sore but not pussfilled... (gross i know) ANyhow they have the same feel as my nails, like an ache underneath the nailbed, so not sure which is causing what...SOhard- LOVE the new pic! Perfect head for baldness!!!!
Sweeny- We were supposed to move on the 14th, but the manager said they need to do some repairs so it might be longer. No worries though- i am feeling like crap after tx 5 LOL so the longer the better!
aw calamity! that sucks, i agree with you if it is a slow growing cancer there really shouldnt be a great risk so soon after. Dont worry too much about dislodging it, i get mine bumped around quite a bit- my nephew actually knocked a dining chair into it on thursday- it hurl like a son of a gun but its still fine LOL I dont hardly notice its there unless it gets bumpped. I have full range of motion too (i dont have lymphedima probs tho) At first i was terrified of anything happening to it! I guess now that its "part of me" i have no choice but to ignore it. It is so damned ugly though! People stare because they have NO manners!
Ann97- Its hard to have confidance in them when they say that!!!! Yeah sometimes i wish they'd just make stuff up if they're gonna say "we just dont know..." ((((HUGS)))About me- Okay so maybe i shouldnt have complained that taxotere isnt working lol- Day 3 kicked my but!!! i was in so much pain, nothing i did helped it! My hips, joints and just all around ached... Luckily husband had the day off and i was able to just sleep.... Today (day 4) is mildly better! I cant wait for this bone scan- if it turns out clear the dr said we will look at a pain med script....
Emotionally- i feel sorta abandoned by my friends... At first people were quick to call, text or email me about how i was doing. (not tons of people but some really close friends) I havent heard from a lot of my friends for at least 2 TX cycles now which is like 6 weeks! I know the "newness" of my dx has worn off for them and also BC awareness month is gone so they prob arent thinkin pink anymore LOL but i dont think the newness is EVER gonna wear off for me... Guess i am having a selfish moment!
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Big Hug to you Texas!0
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Lizzy, Lizzy, we miss you!!!0
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Oh, I forgot I have only 8 (whatevers) of Vitamin D. We are supposed to have 30 up to 50.
I will now be taking 50,000 (whatevers) of vitamin D once a week for 6 weeks and then 1000 (whatevers) a day for some time.
I suspected I didn't have enough and there is the proof. The 50,000 (whatevers) Pills aren't too big at all.
I hope there are no side effects to this but I am happy to take it because I understand there is some evidence that vitamin D is involved in recurrance.
Texas, my big toe looks like h--- and they said if it oozed or smelled I was to call in so maybe you should do that.
Hugs Ginger
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Good evening chemosabes and radicals!!!!!!
I am sorry for the lack of posts. I have been busy. I also had a careless visitor "drop" by on Friday who was getting over a cold, but who also insisted they were over it, and guess who got it? I can't believe that people can be so cavalier knowing what we are all going through and that a "cold" can actually put us in the hospital and potential become life-threatening. No one thinks or really knows I guess. I hate to say it but I have a very short list of visitors for the next 3 months until I get through this. In addition to jokers dropping by with colds (!), I have been trying to do a few things outside but alas my energy tank runs low fast. There are sooo many ancillary benefits to this chemo crap!! In any case, returning to studies has been very good and I feel it is keeping me sharp. I am off to #4 of 6 next week and I can't tell you how I have to push myself into going. The week after is pure drudgery. In any case, CONAN is back! I just watched his first show. I am a huge Conan fan. I also cannot believe Janet Jackson is on George Lopez tonight! She still looks like she did 20 years ago! I think these Conan and Lopez are going to work well back-to-back.
I have kept up with reading and it seems like everyone is trucking along. I give us all one, big collective hug for returning, week after week, for chemo and for continuing on no matter how bad we feel after. My last tx is a few days before NYE and I am just glad I will be starting the New Year with chemo behind me. I don't care how sick I will be for NYE and day. Just glad it is over.
Tex: I hope you do become a nurse! Go back to school, kid! Also, wondering how you are doing with your move? Are you done? I am so happy you got the place.Sohardbnme: GREAT avatar! You look great!
To everyone else: I hope you are all doing well.
We will be ok, right?! I sure hope so! Top O' the Morning to you all!
Good night-
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Ginger -- took her pants off?? ROTFL!! No, I've never been on it - she put me on a very low dose. THis should be fun! I didn't pick up the prescription yet - last night I did sleep some - woke up at 2 am and updated my entire website - the steroids actually gave me the clarity to do that !:D
I'm hoping your SE's are not as bad this time around. I agree that dose dense is tough, but in my opinion, I would rather power through it than drag it out. Some women do very well on the every three weeks, but I wanted this over with fast and the DD was my best shot at that. I have neulasta today....Does benadryl help with the pain?? I tried claritin but every time I have taken claritin I've ended up with a headache (even when I'm not on chemo) and it never helped with my neulasta pain. She mentioned neuprogen again - a series of injections and I turned it down - this will be my last neulasta shot so I will just grit my teeth and power through the next 48 hours or so. It's the jabbing taxol pains that are worse!
Off to pack and mail three packages, healthfood store and picking up DD from a sleepover at her friend's house then getting the kids working on some schoolwork today. In a race against time with the steroids wearing offf............
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Texas - Its been interesting who has stayed strong in support and who has wandered off. Some family/friends were really interested at the beginning and have just disappeared! Some have stayed through thick and thin. I have been quite anti-social and have complained A LOT to those I have talked with so the ones who have stayed strong deserve awards!!!!0
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Ginger: I know they need to inform us, I'm just not hearing what I want to hear. Lol I'll get over it. Just needed to be mad for 24 hours ... okay, maybe a little longer.
I've been reading on the November rads board. I go for the markings and simulation tomorrow. Dr did not mention the tattoo but I know it is coming and have read that it hurts.I got a lot of info about how my skin will be affected ... delightful ... but one nice thing I heard was that I should not get really tired. Since I had a mastectomy and only have a thin layer of breast tissue left, they don't have to go as deep so I should not have fatigue as a SE. I know Lizzy and maybe others here are going to have rads after a mastectomy so I thought I'd pass that info on.
Texas: I'm sorry to hear that your friends are not checking in with you. L You deserve your selfish moment. And lots of selfish moments if you need them. I think some people can't handle us. It is sad. I've been very surprised by the people who don't ask, don't talk about you at all. You sit there bald and they have a conversation with you and act like there is nothing wrong with you. But I've also had enough of the opposite from people so caring and wanting to help.
Calamtykel: Nothing helped me with the neulasta pain. Not Claritin, not Advil, not Oxycodone, not reducing the dose. I'm glad this is your last one.
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calamtykel I agree with the others about talking to your onc about the port and getting it out early if you want. The nurses may "prefer" that you keep it in but ultimately like everything else it really is your decision. I think sometimes in the midst of all this madness we forget that all of our medical decisions are OUR decisions since we get so used to listening to the docs about what the best course of treatment is, etc. So ask questions and find out if there really is a compelling medical reason to keep the port in or not. I'm guessing there is not but I'm no MD. Oh and I've been taking Ambien since August to help with sleep and have had no problems with it. Occasionally I still sleep poorly with it but for the most part it helps me to fall right asleep and stay asleep all night with no odd behaviors! There are those reports of people doing odd things while on Ambien but I believe that is a very rare response.
ckptry I'm glad I'm not the only one who will still be getting chemo in January! I was beginning to think I would be all alone.
I still have a ton of percocet left over from my lumpectomy (I don't think I took any actually) so hopefully those will help if I get pain from the Abraxane. I'm also a bit worried about nausea even though my onc and the nurses say that nausea is much less likely. They are not giving me any more Emend or Zofran though I do still have a few Zofran left over from my AC that I can take if needed. And of course they will call in more if I do end up needing it. Basically I am freaked out by the unknown of how I will react to the Abraxane! The first 6 or so days after AC treatment really sucked for me but at least I knew what to expect and had it all down to a science of when to take what meds and when to expect to feel better!sohard You do look awesome bald! I am jealous!
Texas I am glad you will get to move soon, that new place sounds great. And let us know how your bone scan turns out!
Lizzy Sorry to hear you caught a cold! That sucks that someone thought it would be ok to visit you while sick. But glad to see you back here and feeling better.
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Exercise - Just read this on WebMD (to do after we pick ourselves up from chemo!)
Surviving and thriving after diagnosis may also depend on stepping up the pace. In a review of six studies involving 12,000 breast cancer patients, researchers found that regular exercise could reduce disease recurrence by 24 percent, breast cancer deaths by 34 percent, and overall deaths by 41 percent.
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/features/nine-ways-to-outsmart-breast-cancer?ecd=wnl_brc_110910
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texas - I know what you mean. For some people it sort of gets "old" and they forget or they assume your'e in a "routine" or have other support. It's difficult and it hurts at times. I've had a few experiences like what you are saying -- people who just sort of drift off and assume that you're in a routine or something, or it just gets "old".
I've learned something with BC and that is to lower my expectations of people. I don't mean that I've been burned badly or anything, but rather that I'm learning more and more not to dwell on it and let it bother me. To take what wonderful support I am getting and trying not to dwell on those who have disappointed me, if that makes sense. I've learned to be more forgiving of it also, mainly for my own sake and my own mindset.
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Hi ladies, I can't remember who asked, but someone wanted to know how much longer I had on chemo. I just had my first of 3 taxoteres yesterday and the doc said we'd try an every two week schedule if my body was handling it. So I figure my last tax, if I don't get off track again, will be Dec. 6. I was hoping to have my reconstruction done by year end, but with my month long delay, that's not gonna happen. But at least I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
My skin is also getting a little dry and I've always had oily skin, oily to the point that I still had occasional breakouts in my 50s. I've got some stubby hair coming back, but I guess that will stop now that I'm back on chemo. My lashes and brows are starting to thin. It's weird, I don't really care anymore. I was so upset and self-concious at first about being bald, and now it's not that big a deal. I'm a CANCER patient for God's sake. I'm not supposed to look perfect, or even normal. It's temporary. And if you can't handle it (seeing me bald) you've got a lot more problems than I do. I remember when my sweet mama was first starting dialysis treatments. She had to have 3 different operations to get a fistula installed, it failed and was taken out after she endured weeks of a wound vac and trying to save it, then they inserted a line in her thigh, which also had to have a wound vac and lots of problems with healing (she was borderline diabetic and a heavy smoker). She just went with the flow, it was all part of treating her medical condition and keeping her alive and well. I try to remember that every day. It's not a punishment, nobody is picking on me, I just need to keep moving on to the next step and keep living life.
Whew, don't know what got me off on that except that I was thinking about and missing my mother this morning. This month will be 2 years since she died.
I'm going to do some house cleaning this morning while I've got steriod energy. Hope everybody has a good day with relatively few (or no) side effects.
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Hugs to you Lady - my dad struggled a long time with diabetes and dialysis and he was the same way. Just kept going. I miss my dad too.0
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Good morning chemosabes and radicals!
I agree with everyone about how so many have disappeared as our battle with bc drags on. I think Kel was right with the idea that people just automatically think we are in a routine or we have all the support we need. It does hurt but I figure, most unfortunately, some day they too will be similarly situated with some issue and they will find out what it is like when people disappear. As for me, with jackasses visiting with colds, I am perfectly to keep people at bay but I, too, have had the same experience as you all have had with the support system waning. We have each other so thanks for the www!
Omaz: excellent link about exercise. It is the best thing we can do for ourselves. For those that don't like to exercise, per se, pilates is both challenging and low impact. Something to consider.
Good day to everyone. I hope you are enjoying this nice Fall day-
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Liz- was the third tx much worse for you? The first two were very similar and not too bad-ish... number three has slammed me. Today should be my moving back to normal day, not! Oh well. Then again I feel like a wuss sometimes when I read of others SEs. I really am lucky. Off to enjoy this 70 degree Nov day for as long as I last! Cheers.
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Adey: 3 kicked my butt and 4, 5 and 6 are going to be worse with the ses. I am sure your onc told you with our regimen they get worse each time. I am not joking when I say I treated it like a particularly bad hang over and slept it off. I really did sleep the preponderance of days 3-7. I am off to bloodwork momentarily. I skipped it last week and no one noticed! You and I are doing pretty well compared to what others are going through but, to be perfectly, I dread 4 and 5. I am fine with 6, however, because I am DONE at that point! (wo!)Man, i am looking so forward to bidding this entire process farewell and never having to go back to that chemo room again! It is nice in CT today as well....like 60 degrees and I have all the windows open. I am feeling up to doing some stuff today so I am putting up my Christmas tree! I love the tree and I have a wood burning fireplace and I just love it! I love the lights on the tree at night with all other lights off! Tis my favorite time of year
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Oh man.... I wanna come visit! I love my tree too we cut one down the weekend after Thanksgiving. Alas, I do not have a fireplace, sniff. Enjoy!
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