2010 Sisters
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(((Hugs))) to all on Team Taxotere....hang in there!!!
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thank you, thank you, thank you - you are the best!
Teklya
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Hi Ladies, finally getting some pain relief here. The T#3's x 2 didn't do it either so they put me on percocet with an anti-nausea drug. At first one was not doing it so I tried 2 as perscribed but that was too much and it did make me drugged and sick. So this morning I tried cutting one on half and I'm doing much better. I'm not sure about what my onco nurse was telling me they could give me before my next tx because she didn't tell me what it was just that there was something they can give me BEFORE. I'll be sure to ask on Dec. 6 (my next onco visit). Wishing you Taxotere sistas luck. Shelley yes you warned me, but I didn't think it would be like this! And nothing I had in my medicine cabinet would have helped either! Teklya - hope your feeling better soon! Soooooo glad your done with yours!
Cathy
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tryn2staycalm.......I have nothing in my medicine cab. except the lortab that I have left over from node removal..... My first is FEC starting Monday ....I called today and requested Emla creme and they did call in a rx. I get the impression they will give me something if I ask for it but they don't volunteer . Is there anything else I shud B asking for, I still have Friday to call?????? After 3 FEC I get Tax. should I get a rx for something strong just in case I need it????? Thank you ladies so much for putting out there what you are really going through. I PROMISE I will do the same at least we can get an average and be prepared.......Please let me take a moment to say My Thanksgiving wish is that we will still be conversing next Thanksgiving chatting about OVERCOMING.... LOVE the SISTAS... You Ladies have a Really GOOD time on your Retreat ....HUGS to ALL
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lago: Can't imagine traveling the road to your diagnosis. Hoping you have the courage and strength to leave that behind you and the strength to move ahead and beat the beast.
BarbaraA and the Girls: Have a wonderful time!
Remember: What happens on the Outer Banks, stays on the Outer Banks.
God bless us all.
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Finished Rad #7 today and saw the RO and found out that after me getting so sick after tx #4, 5 and 6 they backed off the amount of radiation and added on another 2 days so I will be finished on 12/3. That afternoon I will be headed to the beach with BarbaraA, Marybe, GrannyDukes and SV. Boy will I be ready to celebrate! The RO gave me some nasty tasting mouthwash. Cannot figure out why they call it mouthwash because you don't swish it around in your mouth and you swallow it. Go figure that one out!?!??! The pharmacist made it with everything in a cherry flavor so it would not taste quite so bad, but it still taste nasty and it numbs my tongue. It is supposed to help the hiccups and the pain in my chest when I swallow. They told me the pain in my chest was gas, but I have never had gas hurt this bad. I still got sick after my tx today and still have the hiccups so the medication for that has not helped any yet. I will be so glad when this is over.
Tomorrow we will be spending the day with friends that are cooking everything. I was told I did not need to bring anything, but I made some pumpkin bread and cranberry bread today that I will be taking. Had a friend and her teenage daughter over today and they completely decorated my Christmas tree for me. It is gorgeous, they did an excellent job and we had a lot of fun in the process. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoys time with family and friends.
Amy Jo
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Dianemoe - we will have to welcome you to the FEC-T club! It's a good third generation treatment being used more these days. If you want to PM me I'll send you my list of side effects and what helped them so you can be ready before Monday. Also check out the Chemocare website which is very extensive. It lists many chemo drugs, the side effects and also how to manage them.
I'm up baking my turkey and wish all of the 2010 Sisters a happy Thanksgiving!
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Hi 2010 Sisters. I just found out last month I have cancer. Ive been so over whelmed I just dont know where to start. What questions to ask. Any help would be a huge blessing right now. I have been tested for BRCA and I have the BRCA2. This is where I'm at today. This is the only info that I have other then the original diagnosis from my biopsy. Thanks, Paula
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Paula66 So sorry you have to join us. Yes we all were in the same place as you. It's overwhelming. Based on your diagnosis so far you have something that is very treatable.You will find many of us in our 40's on this forum as well. (I'm 49… for a little while longer).
Testing postitive for the BRCA means you have a higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer. You doctors might recommend some prophylactic surgery. I do believe Christina Applegate also tested positive for BRCA and chose some prophylactic surgery.
As you will find out the women here are great support and full of information. We will help you get through this. Just be sure you trust your doctors but don't be afraid to question them on treatment or ask them to explain so you understand the full picture.
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redsoxfan I'm actually doing fine. Chemo so far is not bad at all. I will always be angry with my former gynocologists. If you only knew the story you'd understand. The letter she wrote 6 weeks after I spoke with her on the phone (she didn't even know I had a biopsy) and let her know how she and her officed failed me was definatly co-written with a lawyer. It was obvious that she was scared I was going to sue her.
Of course I have better things to do with my time the sue her but I'm glad I did put a scare into her. She even admited that I wasn't handled properly in the letter and that changes are being made in the office… I hope so. No women should have to be treated the was I was by her or her office staff. BTW are you from the Boston area? I grew up on the south shore.
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Paula, welcome to the club no one wants to join. This group is a fine group of folks who can help you with any questions you may have and this is also a great place to rant, which we all need to do!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American Sisters! And happy day to all other sisters!
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Welcome Paula - your at the hardest point now. Acceptance and waiting is by far the hardest part. We will be here for you.
Dianemoe - Please keep in mind that not everyone has had the reactions that some of us have had. With your first 3 treatments your onco will load you up on anti-nausea meds and some steroids to help you fight the SE's. My onco also order Nuelasta shots 24 hours post chemo which I had absolutely no SE's from. If your doctor orders this the first one is usually given in a health care facility and then you can give them to yourself. It is given the same way as my insulin so I had no problem with that. I would recommend on having some stool softeners (my doc gave me a script) and also some Immodium in case it goes the other way. I have used both and had no real problems as I was prepared. FEC tx's didn't cause any pain so you should be ok with just extra strength Tylenol or at least I was. When it comes time for Taxotere then you can discuss with your doctor your odds of having bone pain (read somewhere 10 - 15 %) and what to do if you get it. He may give you something just in case but I have found that they don't like to do that unless you do need it. Every doctor is different, yours may. I think the fact that there are people out there that abuse narcotic drugs makes it hard on the rest of us. You will also want to stock up on fluid's. I found it very hard to keep drinking as nothing tastes right and being a diabetic I was limited to sugar free drinks and you wouldn't be so that will help. Remember broths and jello and any Popsicles count as fluids too. I hope this helps you in getting prepared and remember you are not doing this alone, you have all us sisters! Wishing you luck on Monday and keep us posted when your up to it.
Cathy
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Thanks for the support. Yea this is one place I didnt think I would ever have to come to. I am lucky that I found a doctor that I can talk to. My sissys gyno said she is a good one. Whew thats a relif. Right know I have the decision to make regarding do I keep them or do they both go. Whew its one of the hardest ones Ive had to make. The waitng has drove me crazy, thats for sure. Thanks again Ladies! Happy Thanksgiving All.
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amyjo- I was just in the hospital yesterday for the Chest pains (Dr sent me right over so I could get the ok for Herceptin on monday) that turned out to be gastric issues.... They gave me a script for a strong acid blocker. It seems to be helping better than the pepsid. It hurt me to drink water. Now, I have the cramps and diariaha issues still 6 days later. Needless to say, the Thanksgiving dinner that was brought to me, didnt stay in very long.
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Paula66--Sorry you have to join us here but there are a bunch of great ladies here that are so supportive. Read everything you can, it helps with making the decisions. The waiting is the worst part. It seems you wait for this test and then you wait again for something else. I am currently waiting to start rads. Seems my Dr. did not like the calculations that the Pysicist and the Dosimetrist came up with and they are redoing it again. But on the bright side at least I know my Dr. won't approve it until it is the best plan. But all the same waiting is not fun so try to keep yourself busy with things you enjoy.
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Paula66- Welcome to our group. So sorry you have to join us, but this is the best place to be. There is a wealth of information, tons of encouragement and support. No question is too small or silly or stupid here. Neither are there any that are too hard. Someone or several someone's have been where you are no matter what the rest of the diagnosis winds up being. You are gonna love us and we are all here to help each other. The beginning it the hardest because of all the uncertainty and waiting. Glad to hear you have a oncologist you can talk to. Don't be shy about asking them questions. Some take notebooks with them to write their questions in and then write the answers so they can review them later. I use an iPad because it is easier to carry and I can watch movies, read book, or play games during my treatments. Also take someone with you if you can so that you can talk later to be sure you heard everything correctly. Sometime someone else will hear things you will miss. I have a friend that is a retired ER nurse that goes with me when my DH (Dear Husband) cannot go.
Sweetaerobabe - The mouthwash they gave me is q-dryl, lidocaine, antacid liquid 1:1:1 mix and it is working! I have not had any issues with bowels but I am prepared for either one should they occur. I have not been sick at all today so was able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. I did keep portions small and ate slowly and drank lots of water. I did have a fun day with friends and DH made sure I did not overdo anything.
The new mattress we got yesterday made a big difference in the amount and quality of rest I go last night. I have not slept that good in a long time. I actually slept in until 7 this morning, (I usually get up around 4 or 4:30) As soon as my Texas Aggies beat UT I will be off to bed.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Now comes Christmas!!!!
Amy Jo
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AmyJo: Your Aggies did it, good for them. I'm gearing up for my game today: Auburn v. Alabama. War Eagle!
Paula: I had a BMX in July with TEs inserted immediately. I'll finish reconstruction next month after chemo. I had cancer in just the left breast but elected to do both for several reasons. My chemo is FECx3 (done) and Taxotere x3 (had 2nd Tax on Monday). FEC went well, more problems on Tax but not too horrible. I'll be glad to answer any questions or share my experience via PM if you have questions. Hang in there, like others said, the first part of this is the worst, the shock of diagnosis, having to make decisions, the unknown. Once you decide on a plan and get going, it's not too bad, or it hasn't been for me. (((HUGS))
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LadyinBama- Sorry about the War Eagle! I was rooting for them just as hard as I was for my Aggies yesterday.
Grannydukes - How are you doing? Have not heard much from you lately. Hope everything is still a go for this next weekend. You need some fun times. Looking forward to meeting you. PM me.
DesignerMom - glad you are almost done with radiation. I know you probably feel rare now but well done is coming.
Take care of you skin. I use tons of Lubriderm Intense Skin Repair with itch relief. My skin just soaks it up as fast as I can put it on. I had very dry skin to start with now without the lotion I think I would have turned into an alligator!I have had to use the anti-mouthwash mouthwash about every 3 - 4 hours today. Glad yesterday I was able to enjoy Thanksgiving, because today I have not been able to eat very much of anything.
Well here it is after 11:00 pm again and I was going to go to bed early tonight. Hope everyone has a restful night and no SEs tomorrow.
Amy Jo
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Moisturizer tip. I use 2 part Dove body wash and 1 part hair conditioner to wash myself. (I use Suave hair conditioner because it's cheap). It will take a few weeks before you see the difference but my skin is so nice and soft. I started doing this in the spring. Now with winter coming I might still have to moiturize after the shower but so far I haven't.0
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AmyJo: War Eagle is Auburn, we won!!! You must have been rooting for that other team
. All we've got left to do now is beat South Carolina (again) in the SEC Championship game next weekend and we'll be headed to Arizona to play for a National Championship. Woo hoo!!!Hair question: Monday was my 2nd taxotere so it's been 19 days since I started back on chemo (I had 5 weeks break after FEC because of infection and hospitalizations). So far, all the hair that had come back is hanging on. Do you think it's here to stay? It's stubble, but it's something.
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My hair has started to grow back too! On tuesday I will be having chemo #5 (I've already had 3FEC and 1 taxotere). A few other people I know said that their hair started growing on taxotere too. However, the eyebrows and eye lashes are a different story.
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i just had my 4th chemo, and i did realise that some of my hair did start to grow during 3rd. Its not much but its progress. So fine and little, but yaaaaaaaaay
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Ladyinbama - I was rooting for Alabama. Just assumed the bama was Alabama and that would be the team you would be rooting for. Good luck against SC and AZ toward the championship.
Lago - Thanks for the moisturizer tip. I will start that as soon as I can get to Walmart and get some more conditioner. I ran out this morning. My DH thinks I am crazy because I use Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner. It is really cheap, works really good, and I used to use it on my horses! I will give Suave a try.
Yeah for your baby fuz heads! It is a start to looking relatively normal by the healthy world standard I have not lost my hair yet, but it is getting very thin and I have gotten to where I wear a hat or scarf when I go out to keep my head warm.
Well I need to go OU and OSU are about to play and I never know who to root for. DH is huge OU fan and both our daughters went to OSU and married OSU boys! Think this year I will root for OU as DH is so outnumbered.
Hope everyone has a restful evening and a joyous day tomorrow.
Amy Jo
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Hey All, since we are talking football, I must say that my Gators really suck this year. FSU just beat the crap out of them. I work for UF so it's going to be tough on Monday. I was hoping for an awesome comeback like Auburn!!!
Re: hair and taxotere, I started noticing head hair coming back during taxotere as well, but my eyebrows and eyelashes were falling out at the same time that my head hair was making a comeback. It really didn't get going good though until after the last taxotere. I'm 3 months PFC and now have about 3/4 inch of hair that is baby fine and sort of fuzzy, dark.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Turkey soup tomorrow...
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Mane & Tail has excellent products. I have know about them for some time. When I taught package design one project I gave was a redesign of their shampoo & conditoner. I also hear the hand & nail therapy is excellent too.
BTW my cuticles initially became very dry on chemo. I use hoofer's choice cuticle cream.
http://www.sallybeauty.com/Cuticle-Cream/SBS-705060,default,pd.html0 -
Lago - Do you know a remedy for the little splits that occur on the tips of fingers during the winter? My husband and I both get them (nothing to do with chemo!). Thx0
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Sorry I don't get those so I'm not sure what they are. I do know that initially my fingers started to peel and dry out something awful at the beginning of chemo. I had to stop using antibacterial soap, etc. While I do still wash my hands I am very cautious of using antibacterial products. At the gym that's all they have so once in a while (couple times a day) isn't going to do too much harm. And of course lotion helps.
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Lago - Its probably a symptom of living in dry arizona!0
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And for our Canadian folks, today is Grey Cup Day. I am rooting for Saskachewan, for sure. Wish I was feeling better, we love to have folks over and have munchies and warm appetizers and then order chicken! I, of course couild care less about food and even less about the company and the least about the game. Damn you Breast Cancer. Robbing me of so much without my permission!
Not too chipper just yet, but I realize this, too, shall pass. How are all of you doing, my comrades in the Torturous Taxotere??? What a horrid drug! My counsellor told me that at one time they used to only give FEC or Taxotere and then they tried to add the two, which became a much more aggressive way to treat this, but also was so much harder on the patient as well. All we need is another clinical trial to change this and maybe this will be a treatment of the past. I can't even imagine ever going thru" this again and pray like mad that I won't have to.
Enjoy your Sunday and try to get some time to relax, re-charge and do something gentle and nice for yourselves.-
take good care & just breathe. . .
Teklya
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Big hug to you Teklya!0
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Omaz I was thinking that. I will have to ask my high school friend that lives out there if she has the problem and what she does for it. This friend is a riot. She is typical MA liberal living in a religious conservative part of AZ (Granted she's say all of AZ is far right). She's always ranting about Sarah Palin and the teabaggers and the AZ politics.
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