February 2012 Chemo
Comments
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Ok i feel better reading about all of you dealing with this hair thing too. I went to therapy this morning with my cap and pretty scarf tied around it. First time out in public! I do feel like everyone is looking at me. Probably just paranoid. Can't do the wig thing and everyone says it looks just like my hair but it feels so weird and not all that comfortable. I am also looking in to getting a halo. Seems like it would feel better especially with weather change here in North Carolina (80 this week). Anyone know how long it takes for this stubble to let go?? I have been rolling a lint brush over my head and amazed at much comes off and at the same time how much is still left.
Hope everyone has a better week!0 -
Msbelle on steroid days my ankles are one of things that swell
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Hi everyone, well I went to the hospital to see my onco and have blood taken for the port on Thursday. I told the nurse that my doc said come along and she would see me between patients. So this nurse was very put out and said something under her breath and walked off. I thought it was a bit odd and dismissed it thinking she was busy.
When I am in the room with the doc and this nurse, my doc turns to this nurse and says. Alison has had a very bad arm and will need a line in. This nurse turns her back on the doc and goes over to the trolley. The doc says something again and touches the nurse's arm and again she blanks her and walks out of the door. I am so embarrassed for my lovely doc and say I must have put her back up. My doc says don't worry about it she will be alright. So then I'm thinking has this nurse said something to my doc about me. I told her what I said that I needed to see her or a nurse to look at my arm.
Anyway I still have to have the line and another nurse took my blood. I told her what happened and I said if I upset this nurse I would say sorry to her, but I still don't think I did. She said she would tell her and also said she shouldn't be working here if she can't take it.
What a morning!!0 -
Ali
It really makes you wonder why some people get into health care, perhaps she's burned out but she sure shouldn't be muttering under her breath when or dismissing the doctors when she's given instructions to do something. It obvious that Nurse #2 has a good grasp on her and I'm sure this isn't the first time an issue has come up either. It's nothing you did. I'm so glad you're finally getting the port though! It's going to make your life a little easier.
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Lumnynme, hope it went well!Christina and MSbelle, I think the stubble loss varies. I still have stubble up there, and it doesn't seem to be falling out very fast. That said, I am assured that it will.Oh, and the dry skin thing--watch out for cracking fingertips on round 3. That's waht happened to me, at least, and I also had dry skin.Ali, good luck with the port! Pay that gasbag nurse no mind at all. You don't need her nonsense in your life....So I had AC number four today. Halfway done! No more AC! So, so happy to have that behind me (I hope.) Just hanging out watching Buffy DVDs, but thus far don't feel as bad as the third go around. fingers crossed.....0
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myleftboob - sounds like you handled the big shave really well!!! That's awesome!!! FYI I have herceptin weekly; I get it with chemo (the TC part I guess) every three weeks, but I still go on the weeks in between for more herceptin.
dipad - glad to hear you had a good experience with getting your hair cut short. OMG why would anyone go to work with strep throat, it is contagious!!!
msbelle - I started my first treatment on 2/13 and I have about 40% of my stubble left. I wish it would just all fall out already, it looks so ridiculous to be half and half.
Hildy - did you use anything special for your dry fingers? I am just using my regular moisturizer (Curel) several times a day. I think it is just starting to ease up.
ali - Sorry you had a bad nurse.
Like this isn't fun enough without grouchy nurses.I ended up not going to work today. I felt really lousy when I got my herceptin treatment this morning. The P.A. that met with me was dismayed that I had diarrhea all weekend and didn't take anything for it until this morning. She said I was dehydrated and if I have a loose BM twice at any time I probably need to take something for it. I had no idea I should be so worried about it. So I got an IV of fluids too. What a difference! My energy level and mood are back up to par, my appetite was a little better too this afternoon, and my stomach isn't perfect but it is better than this morning. Anyway my labs were all normal or close to it otherwise. I am always worried about that because so many here have problems, but knock on wood, so far so good.
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ALMOST FORGOT. I found this really funny. After lunch an insurance salesman shows up at my door. He wants to sell me life and health insurance. I was surprised and taken off guard, and I just flat out honestly told him, "I have insurance, but you wouldn't want to insure me, I have cancer." Well he gave me a flabbergasted look (guess he didn't notice I was wearing a knit cap with no hair sticking out and it's over 70 degrees today), offered to pray with me (which I accepted), and then he left. But I found it hysterically funny, because salesmen can be so hard to get rid of, but boy, he did not try to argue or persuade me one bit! lol
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Day 16: Went out early this morning to get some fasting bloods taken. I felt nauseous without any food in my stomach, but that cleared up once I had some breakfast.
Has anyone else been craving sweet food lately? I'm not usually a big chocolate fan, but I have desperately wanted it a couple times in the last week. Maybe it's just me being a pig.
FLDREAMER- I'm glad you had a great weekend. Sunshine and a sweet patio spot can make all the difference.
Lumpynme- I hope your treatment went well. Good luck for your SE's.
Christina- LOL about the insurance salesman! Haha, thanks, I guess my teeth are alright. I'm glad you're feeling better. I didn't know that 2x diarrhoea is bad enough to take some drugs. I'll keep that in mind.
Myleftboob and Dipad - Congrats on getting your hair cut!
Ali- That nurse sounds totes unprofesh. If she gets any worse you should complain to someone. You don't need to be worrying about your nurse's issues.
Hildy- Wow, half way done, awesome! And I haven't watched my BtVS DVDs for years, might have to pull them out.
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Christina--I generally have cracked fingertips in the winter, and have found that medicated chapstick of all things helps. I also use a ton of moisturizer, and have heard that Bag Balm also helps. The nurse suggested that I find some cotton gloves and wear them after slathering my hands with moisturizer, so I'll give that a try, too.LOL at the insurance salesman, and good on him for not pushing it.Galena--Seasons one through three are my favorites--havent watched them in years, but now my daughter is getting into it, too!0
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Galena
Yes I'm craving sweets too! Mostly dark chocolate. Although while I wasn't hungry but knew I had to eat something this morning I had toast with PB&J. I never eat that. I'm thinking my blood sugar must be a bit low hence he craving. Not that it normally is, its pretty normal, but this is my tired day after TX, been napping on and off all day
Christina
LOL at the Insurance Salesman!!
I just realized today how hair keeps you warm! Thank goodness I picked up some soft hats to wear. Still feel like a bit of an alian when I look in the mirror though I have to say but it beats the constant shedding.
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Dropping in to wish everyone a great week. For those sitting in the chair this week, wishing you a pleasant experience.
Love the insurance salesman story!
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Hello, all! Just good to hear from everyone, all the good things everyone's been doing. For those suffering from SEs, hope you feel better soon. I don't know if I will be having a tx this week or not, I will have to call my MO tomorrow, so I can start taking tune steroids if I am. If not , another repreive, and another week of waiting, . I don't know which will be harder. Some of my hair is holding on, but great big holes in it. I have to get it shaved this week. Had the look good feel better class today, and it wiped me out, just getting ready, driving, and getting home was tiring. One tx, and feel like a wimp! Geeze. (LOL, autotype just put Herganzovenia in for Ge eze!LOL!) Everyone much love, and small SEs
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Hi all - just checking in - getting thru after the 2nd TX ok, not to bad. But I was suprised how I lost my sense of taste almost instantly - by Friday afternoon they were gone. Made me want to cry....so hungry and couldn't bear anything I ate. And my sense of smell......YUCK.....it was so heightened I almost couldn;t bear anything to be cooked in the house.
However, I went out and bought Johnson and Johnson soothing vapors baby bath and used it when I took baths over the weekend. I can't even tell you how wonderful it was for the bones and my sanity. It seemed to open up my nose and the smell was nice and relaxing.
Also lemon drops and lemon italian ices - oh yes one other weird item....pierogis. They were my lifeline to eating.
Alright, off to bed. I will admit that this TX knocked me on my butt as far as being tired but this too shall pass.
Firstcall - not sure if it was this topic or the other but I loved the David vs Goliath.....I thought long and hard about it and took great comfort from it.
(((HUGS))) to all
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galena - well, i had diarrhea 4-5x since Thursday or Friday, so the P.A. told me if I had it 2x to take the med for it. I don't know that 2x by itself for one day is a big deal. I normally crave sweets, but less so during all this; they just don't taste the same. I am wanting more salty foods. Chocolate tasted terrible days 2-3 after treatment.
moonflwr - what is Herganzovenia? a country? lol
mthrdee - lemon sounds good. I think I will pick up some lemon sherbert at the grocery store for next time.
Acceptance: I finally took my razor and shaving cream out of the shower and put them in the bathroom cabinet. I haven't shaved in at least a week and a half. Haven't needed to tweeze my eyebrows in about that long either. Hoping my eyebrow hairs hang in there.
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Christina
Isn't it weird about the salty/sweet thing. I'm normally a salt craver and have to go real light with it right now. I'm having a cup of cocoa and a cookie right now.
Mtherdee
Hmmm perogies!
Moonflower
You are not a wimp my dear girl! You have alot of issues that have sidelined you and put you a b it behind schedule.
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hildy-yay on being done with AC...now what is the plan?????
i finally realized yesterday that my taste buds have changed-but only, it seems, for coffee..it just doesn't taste right..dang i love my coffee...tried putting creamer in it and had a horrid sugar issue.
my son arrived today with a gorgeous bouquet of a dozen pink roses! we had a good day overall at my tx and a quick lunch. he dropped me off and i napped a few hours before goiong to support-glad that i went! at next months' support mtg we are going tocelebrate me being done with chemo!
the infusion room has two chairs which face outside and there are wonderful things to look at-i am going to ask for one next time-today; i was planted in the chair inside the cubby along with an outside facing chair-and dontchaknow the lil ol lady in the chair facing out was sound asleep -snoring! very proud of my son for no out loud laughing!!!!
asked MO today how soon my surgery would probly be- he thinks not for a month-dang! will play it by ear-he says it's so my bod can rebuild wbc etc -but my numbers today were actually high! and you all know i am thinking job!
he also said that he may order blood work to check B12 level-gastric patients do not absorb B12 so i take sublingually- he is worried i may have to give self shots..we'll see. Firstcall; how would that show up on my bloodwork pages from pre chemo? or is it only if specifically ordered?and he does not understand gastric patients and low blood sugars as well as i had wanted- when i explained the scene from last monday coming off the steroids he basically said i didn't know what low blood sugar would do ...well- i DO! he did lower my steroid inIV today tho to help.
oh! he also said that some chemo comes out thru tears in the eyes etc so maybe that is why my eyes feel like they do cuz it's not all of the time.....
along the thought line of surgery a month out- if i keep my PICC til then it will have to be flushed weekly- i asked if i could do it at home so i could go to work- they said to ask my MO- we'll see where that gets me- i KNOW that i can do it-i flushed hubs PICC for more than 6 weeks as well as administering his steroids thru PICC!!!!!
i woke up from my nap with a headache but tylenol did it. now i am hungry and it's about bed time....
hugs to all!
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lumpynme - B 12 levels have to be specifically requested. Its easy to check, and considering your prior Gastric Bypass it should be checked periodically. On top of that the chemo can impair your ability to absorb B12. So yes, if it hasnt been checked, you should ask that they check it.
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thanks! when i lost my health ins a few years after my bypass; i lost the ability to have the numbers checked as they should be so i have worked hard to be diligent..... i don't have a problem with him ordering the bloodwork--wish i could get him to order the entire rainbow that i used to get checked! i doubt medicaid would pay for it tho i may just take the list along to next MO visit! again-thanks!!!
how are you feeling?
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Lumpynme: Sounds like your treatment today wasn't too bad! Hope it stays that way with no SE's over next few days. How wonderful to get the roses! That was sweet of your son!
HAIR/bald/cold: Several weeks ago, I cried like crazy over the hair loss. I dreaded wearing the wigs. Now, I wear them but find them constricting. So, today at work, I just took off the wig and wore a nice baseball cap. Then, (can't believe I did this), I later took off the cap and just worked bald. I work in an internal office at a factory so I don't see the public. Boss and co-workers (all men) don't care and are really nice. (we compare bald heads). lol Only thing is the back of my neck gets cold. I also never realized how much warmth our hair provides.
I'm not sure I'll ever go to church or out to eat or grocery store bald but two weeks ago, I thought I'd never go without the wig. Now, I've decided I am about comfort and only comfort! I do wear makeup more often now and nice earrings. But I do it for me, not for anyone else.
STUBBLE: Hangs on. I use the lint remover every evening. My head feels like corduroy (the fabric, not the children's storybook character. lol. run your hand one way and it's smooth, run your hand the other way, it's rough. Reminds me of my sewing days! Lay the fabiric carefully and watch the 'nap.' lol
AC#4: Coming up on Thursday. I want to cry just thinking of it. Oh, how I hate going into that building!
Thinking of all of you...hoping you are doing okay.
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Claritin or Caritin D / I haven't taken either one yet. Haven't had that much pain so I dread adding any more meds to my list. I had a triple by-pass 8 years ago and have 3 stents. My MO and nurses have never suggested or heard of taking Claritin at all. I suspect with my medical history it'd be better to deal with the side effects rather than risk another medication in my system.
HEART: I know my MO did inform me that the chemo could affect my heart. I worry about that. How likely is that? Last thing I need is a heart attack in the midst of this journey thru chemo.
On the plus side, I have never had a heart attack. The surgery and stents were the result of severe shortness of breath symptoms and resulting angiograms that showed blockage.
BARRETT's Esophagus: On top of the above, I also have this. I had three endoscopys last summer and the gastro doc was going to do a series of Halo Ablations starting last month. This was cancelled due to the cancer. For those who don't know what Barrett's is, it is a pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus.
NOT fair, not fair, not fair. I always thought the heart would kill me. Who knows, maybe I'll fall off my bike this summer and that will be my ondoing! At least I would go having fun!
NOT GOING to worry about it. One day at a time!
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Flddreamer, hang in there. One day at a time is all any of us can do . And life is so UNFAIR. Sucks sometimes!
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After work today, I fell asleep and slept for 4 hours. So now, I'm wide awake. I just finished reading a bunch of the March 2012 forum. I usually post between January and February. This was the first I read anything on March. Except for the names and the timetable of what's happening, it could be like any of what we post.
I feel so sad at how many people are on there. And it was like a sad awareness of how many new cancer patients there are on all these monthly forums. With my heart history, I never really thought much about cancer before. And we are just the ones who use computers or are posting or have breast cancer. It has made me realize how very much we need to lick cancer ... all cancer. And find out what causes it. I feel like I was so ignorant before. I'm not trying to be negative in this posting. Just sad that I was so unaware before. And before I had cancer, if I heard of anyone who had it, I was as naive as the next person and probably said the wrong things also. Makes me want to be a better listener in my life to other people also. Not just for cancer.
"HUGS" to everyone!
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On a more positive note, I also see that there are forums from past years and many posters who pop in from the past to remind us that they've been where we are and are doing better and that 'this too shall pass.' We all have to hold on to hope and do all we can for ourselves. Just a thought.
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lumpynme - I'm doing ok, thanks....day 4 from TC #2. I dont feel well, but Its hard to explain. Im not in pain, just don't feel well, and tired. Tired, yet hard to sleep. I'm sure I'll feel better in a few days.
Fldreamer- with your history, I would not do the Claritin D. The D means it has pseudofed added, and that is a cardiac stimulant. You don't need that. My MO has no info on the claritin helping, but its a relatively safe treatment. If last time is a predictor I'll have major bone pain about Thursday....bracing myself.
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Firstcall: That's how I felt after my AC#3. Just not well. But not sick. Tired but couldn't sleep. Hungry but couldn't eat. It did ease up by day 7 or so but that was much later than for the others. Now, as I am almost ready for AC#4, I feel almost totally normal (which won't last). Hope you feel almost normal again real soon!
I can't imagine trying to do your job each day when you're going thru this. (or for that matter, many of the others on here whose jobs are more demanding.). I just sit at a desk working on the computer. I don't need to interact with anyone other than an occasional co-worker. For that, I am blessed.
Thanks for comments on Claritin. I appreciate the feedback regarding that.
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Firstcall: so the worst bone pain is day 6? Did I do my math right?
Fldreamer: well said...I too have a new perspective on cancer. Have beat myself up, should have been more compassionate with cancer patients. Never realized the importance of venting. I will definitely be able to relate now!0 -
Moring All.
I feel a bad for those that can't sleep, that's all I've done for the last 48 hours it feels like, on and off anyway. Just exhausted, listless. Managed to make supper last night for DH and fold some laundry, do a couple of dishes but that's it!
Re Clariton, took the 24 hour one with my MO's OK, he even said alot of people find it helpful. Last TX day 5 and 6 were the back spasm days so we shall see what tomorrow brings.
FLDREAMER
You're right when you talk about cancer and how it just seems like there are so many struggling with it. Not that I didn't think about it before because I have had friends that have both won and lost the battle with it, never mind what we see here on a daily basis with new threads popping up daily. The support here is incredible and I know there are many like you say have no access via the internet etc that aren't able to reach out as we can here.
The one thing that I am determined to change is looking after me in a healthy way. I have always been a people pleaser and tend to put my needs on the back burner. I don't mean being selfish at the expense of others, more about living a less stressfull more balanced lifestyle. When I think back to some years where I never even took more than a long weekend off because I was "too busy" with work, no more of that! Or being consumed with the "stuff" I own, really or keeping up with the Jones's. This is a pivitol year for me, with the Grace of God I'll be turning 50. If the last 10 years is any indication of how fast the next 10 will go, I'm determined to do alot of things a whole lot differently.
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Hi all - Back on the steroids today and my 2nd tx tomorrow, a little scared this time since it seems to get worse with each treatment. My daughter shaved my head for me last Friday, I was ok as I had my bawling fit the day before when it was falling out. We did paint a little message in hair color on the back of my head (F**K Cancer) and posted on my fb with a little message. Then shaved my head with a razor to get the nubs off and saw the the F**K was stained on my head and I had to get my final fitting on my wig sio everyone in the shop saw my head, it was hilarious! I still can't sleep, my doc changed my perscription to 1mg Ativan and to quit the Ambien but i new that wouldn't work so I stayed on both and still no sleep, tried 2mg Ativan and no Ambien last night and that was worse. Now I'm back on the steroids for 5 days so I know I won't be sleeping now for sure. I hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected today, all your posts are so inspirational as well as informative, thanks everybody.
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as i read the forums i am particularly disturbed by the number of YOUNG women and women with YOUNG children going thru this- i would not have had the strength at 20 and 30 or even at 40.
firstcall-i have a lot of days where i don't feel BAD i just don't feel GOOD so i understand taht feeling.
my MO was actually pleased to hear that i am doing the Claritin and that it works for me- i saw an associate of his at tx#2 so he was not aware.
so today my eyes are tearing quite a bit- i think it's only cuz doc said they might!!!!! i took an ativan to sleep last n ite and it helped - but i didn't sleepthe full nite.it's ok -for now!
have to get self off comp and go get my neulasta shot..... tonite is look good feel better....
hugs to all!
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Jag
Now that's funny!!! I forget which cockail you're on, sorry, so hard to keep track. I had my 2nd TX last Friday and so far I feel about the same as I did last time really. Was beat tired for the last 24 hours but it seems to be slowly lifting just like last time so here's hoping? I consider myself lucky I've been able to sleep unassisted.
Lumpy
You are exactly right in your sentiments about how the younger set deal with all this especially if they have young kids at home. I don't have children but I can't imagine how hard it would be.
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