February 2012 Chemo
Comments
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Gritgirl
I know its hard to ask for help. I just know a couple of your friends are going to be willing to help you out. Have you had a bad reaction so far? Mabey a quick phone check in from them every few hours if they can't come for both nights would be ok? Stay strong!
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Thinking of you gritgirl. Call those friends! That's what they are there for. Please keep checking in with us as well as let us know how you are. Keep fighting!!
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Gritgirl, you won't know till you ask. Please ask. Give your friends the gift of helping you. It is a gift for them, to feel really needed, for not too much effort, ie, sleeping over. It's not easy to ask, but sometimes it is all we can do. You may have a chance to do it for someone else. We will be counting down with you, we won't let you go it alone.
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HI all - well 12 days from last TX and I was admitted to the hospital Saturday and am still here. WBC were at 0 and fever was spiking..slowly getting better but this is brutal. Anyway very tired but tomorrow the Dr said I can leave my isolation room with a mask on and walk the halls before visiting hours. He feels it will help with the fatigue.
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Mthrdee, so sorry to hear that. Hope those little nuggets come up very quickly. Um, you need more than 0!! Good luck.
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mthrdee, i'm glad you're ok. how scary.
i actually set up a section on a website call lottsahelpinghands. i set up the activities and send out an email to all the folks who said they would help and a few folks have responded.
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mtherdee
Have they said at what level your WBC need to be in order to release you? Unbelievable that it went so low and after your last TX too. Hope that count comes up soon!
gritgirl
Glad to hear you've received some positive responses!
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Gritgirl - I'm so sorry you are faced with more chemo. It is so hard to ask for help, but if you need it ask. Sometimes people get swept up into their day to day and forget what we are going through day to day. It doesn't mean that they don't care.
mthrdee - that is so scary, I was just telling a friend that I can't wait to eat sushi and was trying to plan out when I thought it would be safe. Normally my counts are at least on the upswing after a week. I should wait a little longer obviously.
I really, really miss my eyelashes - even more than my hair. I have three left, one on my right eyelid and two on my left.
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oh gosh! i am so sorry Mthrdee! I feel terrible now for complaining earlier.. helped put it in perspective for me.
I really hope you feel better soon!!
Gritgril- I cant even imagine all you are going through. It has to be very rough on you physically and emotionally BUT you will get through it. trudge through it one day at a time but you will fight and you will win! We are here to support you as much as we can!
Here's hoping everyone else is doing well.
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LOL mrthdee, I just reread my post, that was hope your numbers come up quickly, not your nuggets! Sorry, LOL.
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Hello all,
Yes Moonflower the nuggets LOL are coming up. I am sure this spelling will be way off but here goes... my nurtrphil numbers which is the important part of your WBC were at 0 and I cannot go home until they get to at least 500, I also must be 2 days without any fever spikes. So far since Saturday I have gotten the numbers up to 100 so still need another 400 to go and I have not had any fever in 12 hours. Keeping my fingers crossed that thursday I will be released.
For further clarification to all on here still having treatment and anyone who pops in just to read.....even though this was my last TX it was different as I could not have the Nulesta shot due to the severe allergic reaction I had to it that caused my hospitalization after TX #3. I don't want anyone to think this is going to automatically happen to them. I beleive that I am in the hospital now only because I didn't have the Nulesta.
How much does that suck.....no Nulesta - hospital and sick and feverish.....take the Nulesta and have horrific bone pain and in my case, a terrible allergic reaction.
Someone please tell me that radiation is going to be easier then this!!!!!! LOL
Gritgirl, I am so sorry for all you are going thru. I know it is so hard when you have told your friends an end date for when you need help and then it all changes. It must be really difficult to deal with that and your own emotional roller coaster of dealing with the news of more chemo. All I can say is that when you have friends in your life that have already stepped up to the plate to help, it is because they love and care for you. To them the only finish line to cross is when you are well again. Friendship is long term, so having to help you for another month or two, shouldn't matter when it gives them you in their life for a longer period of time. Anyway that is how I have always found it to be with those friends who have truly been there for me. Hope that helps.
(((Hugs))) to all
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mthrdee - I go without the shot also, only had it once on the first treatment. My counts also go down severely. they stay down from sometime during the first week untill 2+ weeks after treatment. 2nd treatment neutrophils hit 220 and were up over 5000 with an overall white count of 9000 by the 3rd treatment. That 3rd treatment sent them spiralling down to 100 and were up again well over 5000 for neutrophils and overall white count 11,000+ before this last treatment. I'm now severely neutropenic again and they were at 400 by the end of the first week, this week I have to be very carefull this week because they will go down further. The MO always watches the "babies" and apparently that gives them an idea in advance if those counts will come up nicely. I'm wondering did they put you on antibiotics? I'm on antibiotics from 1 week after treatment untill the end of the second week as a precaution. I'm amazed at how fast those counts turn around - literally a day or two and they explode - yours will too..hopefully very shortly.
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Hi everyone,
To all having a rough week my prayers and thoughts are with you and hope you are all feeling better. I'm not sure if it was my first Taxol treatment or a cold. I had a fever 100. Thank goodness it didn't go higher, and really achy. Geez I had bones aching that I didn't know I had! I'm feeling so much better this week. Curious- when is your WBC at it's lowest during treamtents?
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I think it is days 7 to 10 not sure. Blimey your fever did you go to hospital.
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dipad
I only had my blood work done every 3 weeks the day before chemo so they knew if I was good to go for TX so I can only go by the others were. I'm pretty sure ali68 has it right though.
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I think it's 7-10 if you have the shot. If you don't, it is a longer rebound because the shot forces the body to accelerate the process. Mine are down from day 7-15 without the shot. The MO explained it that the shot will force the baby counts into the actual counts...so the counts seem higher, altho they are immature and can't necessarily protect like the count would suggest they could. Without the shot, the babies mature on their own and come into the count when they are ready.
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Well Friday is the big day, will I be well enough for last chemo? I want to have it but maybe I'd be glad if they tell me give up and just get surgery done. Onco said this might happen as blood count was very low last time. If I don't have anymore I will be ok about it, I need to be fit for surgery.
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aem
That was very good explanation!
ali
I'm not sure what I wish for you, that your're well enough to go ahead with chemo or not well enough and they decide that its time for surgery. Hmmm. I suppose as long as your fit for surgery that's the goal right.
I'm curious to see my bloodwork results when I go back to see the doctor on 11th and then to pick up my Tamoxifen prescription. When I met with the other RO he had mentioned that Armidex might be a better choice. In reading here, the SE"s seem pretty brutal. One of the posters referred to it at "the vagina withering drug" YIKES!
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Just FYI, the nadir of the wbc depends on the tx. TCH, one is 7-10 days one is 12-14 days. Not sure right now which is which, have to look it up, but it is tx specific. Just FYI. My onc prefers to give blood instead of a shot for rbc problems. (Ask me how I know this.... LOL) much love.
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Is everone starting Tamox, etc.. Before or during radiation???? I had no intention of starting hormone therapy untill I was a month or so past radiation.. I thought the norm was one thing at a time..i.e. chemo, rads THEN Tamoxifen?
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AEM47....my nurse practitioner said the Radiology Onc likes to wait til done with rads because they don't like to confuse side effects. Not sure I buy into that...Ali68: that is great you are almost done. 9 more days til my last one! The neulasta shot has been making me achy the last couple but it gets my counts up in time...wild horses couldn't keep me from my round. I hope you get what you need whether its the last round or if you get the surgery over with. That would be nice too...
Gritgirl...I have to go back a page and see what is going on with you. Hugs, strength and prayers your way girl....
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mthrdee - hope you are feeling better tonight.
aem47 - I will be taking tamoxifen eventually but my onc says surgery and then radiation first for me. Then he is recommending zoladex first for a couple of years, and then switching to tamoxifen for 2-3 years. He said he prefers to do it that way because of my age (33); he gave me the choice of doing it that way or just doing tamoxifen, but I think I am going to do it the way he recommended; it seems like (from what I read) the zoladex doesn't have as many side effects.
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Went and had my MUGA today, haven't heard how it went. However, I am so fatigued. I could barely make it to the room, the we ate after, and I could not wait to get home. Took a nap. Walking to kitchen has been a trial today. I am hoping its just tx 4 aftereffects and not heart failure. Been on the scenic route through all this, I want the express now, just finish the tx! Sorry. Venting.
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moonflwr you vent away, you have had way more than your fair share of SEs.
Forgot to share about my paranoia. On Monday the P.A. tells me I'm due for my three month echo after 5/3. If I recall correctly I have to have those because of the herceptin. Anyway so I scheduled it for 5/10, since I'm already scheduled off work that day (I know I'll be too tired from chemo to work that day). So today the nurse calls and says, P.A. wants me to have it sooner than that, as soon as possible. Now I'm nervous. Sometimes my chest does feel heavy. And the P.A. said my left ankle was a little swollen Monday. I start thinking about the thread here, "Herceptin Heart Attack." Ugh... So when is the next available? 5/8, she says. I'm like, are you kidding me? That's only two days sooner. I told her if she can get me in this week, before my 5/7 treatment, I'll go, but if it's going to be after my next treatment then I don't see how there is any difference between having the echo on 5/8 than on 5/10. If it's truly urgent, they'll fit me in, otherwise I'll stick with the 5/10. So my echo is 5/10... I'm sure it's fine but of course now I am mildly afraid that I'm going to have a heart attack and die in the next 9 days.
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Moon
As usual I forget but you're getting Herceptin right? How long to get your results from the MUGA? Sometimes Herceptin can be the culprit re the heart but the good news is they can stop the Herceptin if need be.
AEM
I think most start Tamoxifen after rads.
I'm making another trip to see the RO tommorow afternoon. Jeez I love wasting time and gas GRRR. Well at least I'll find out what the board says if she didn't forget again to discuss my case. Then Thursday its my SIMA Test (same as MUGA). Then next Thursday is bloodwork and a visit with the MO to pick up (I assume) my Tamoxifen prescription. Who said I'd be done after chemo LOL!
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MLB, I DON'T WANT TO STOP HERCEPTIN! I think this is what might have saved my mom. , H eres hoping for a robust over 50 EF score. Christina, you are not paranoid, just worried, me too. You and I do seem to be on the same track! Let's hope it changes to the express train for us both. Much love
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Moon
Ok I hear you. I hope they can get you those results ASAP and praying that its better than 50!!!!!!!
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Hanging head in shame, sorry for yelling. Just don't want to stop taking it. My apologies.
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Put me on that Herceptin train too! I go in on Thurs for my 3 month heart check up as well. Here's hoping everything is pumping away so I can stay on it as well. Never thought I would WANT to continue with these drugs.
Hang in there everyone.. We can do this!
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For her2+ folks, herceptin saves lives. luckily they have another drug like it that was released recently. certainy i'll be on herceptin or something like it for the rest of my life
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