February 2012 Chemo
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When I had Taxol the same as Taxotere I think.
Had reaction when it was given
Got home was very cold then went very hot
Pain all over my body
My hands were swollen 3 times bigger in between the fingers got sore red patches. Pain at tips of fingers and when you touched the nails. The rest of the hand got sore red patches around the sides and wriste. Pain was very bad and could not use them at all. Then they got very dry and started peeling like a snake.
Face - very swollen and painfully
Got locked jaw
Had a funny sensation when I drank like fire crackers in your mouth
Face was cold and clammy and very numb
Didn't eat for ten days
feet were fine
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Gritgirl There must be a cancer support group where you live, have you called your hospital they will know. Also they will Information about support for other things.
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Good Morning everyone. Catching up.
MLB - I was happy to hear that there is a concenses no rads for you. Hurray!
Delivered a baby boy yesterday morning, after attending to them all night. My first all nighter since starting chemo. And I worked a full day at the clinic. It felt great to be able to do that, after dragging around so much the past several weeks. Have a son getting married in August, I need to build my strength up so I can remodel the living room before then.
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I don't have tingling, but my face is a mess (more tha usual). It doesnt even seem to be acne--just sores that appear, and flaky skin that won't stop flaking--it almost seems like a burn, if that makes any sense.Gritgirl, thinking of you. I used the Lotsahelping hands site as well, and it turned out to be quite efficient and useful to all involved.Going in to be mapped for radiation today--yeah, the first of my tatttoos.Last Taxol--and last chemo!--on Monday. This Taxol was more, um, taxing than the others as far as bone pain and neuropathy; I hope the last one doesn't kick my butt too much.Hope y'all are doing as well as can be under the circs!0
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Hildy - i have the same with the peeling skin on my face and especially on my feet. Its pretty disgusting.I'm right behind you, last Taxol is Thursday. The first was the hardest for me so far with the pain.
Ali, you have gotten a head to toe beat down from all this!
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Congrats to you all getting your last treatment this week! Does anyone know how long it usually takes for your immune system to get back to normal after chemo! My DH just told me that he wants to plan a trip to europe this summer. I would love to go but I'm worried about being near others on the plane if my immune is down. BUT I KNOW if I dont go soon he will change his mind!
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Good morning all! I am getting Herceptin today, also magnesium and potassium. I shouldn't complain, but it will be more than two hors now, closer to three instead of just one oh, well. At least they have soup and crackers so the fact I didn't eat breakfast will be ok. Firstcall, so good you could pull an all nighter! Ali, you will get through this . Faith, good luck on Thursday. Hildy, hope you don't get any more skin issues. Also(((gritgirl-))). Of I forgot anyone, sorry to all. Much love and small SEs.
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Does anyone know when you have biopsy can they see if it is Hodgkins LympHoma. Why I ask is I had the cancerous lymph nodes first then the lump on breast. Also itchy skin which I have all the time and solar urticaria. Want to ask my onco but if they look for that as standard I won't ask.
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from my understanding, they type the cancer in the pathology. a woman i met was supposedly breast cancer but in the pathology they found out it was sarcoma.
but my point of view, ask away. the doctor gets paid to heal and answer questions. :-)
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Thanks gritgirl I will ask. Last chemo tomorrow and it's a late one, that's if I'm well enough for it. Just finished cleaning the house and doing ironing. Omg my back is killing me, why do I leave things to the last minute.
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Ali - a biopsy will tell you if it is Hodgkins Lymphoma.
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Re: Pathology--what gritgirl and Firstcall said. Mine orginally said IDC with some lobular features, but then all the slide went to Dana Farber and re-read, and it came out as plain old IDC.
Ali, those have to be the worst side effects I have heard of. Hope you can get one more TX done, and then you will be ready to kick butt on the next step....
So the radiation mapping was kind of interesting. I pretty much just lay there while they figured out how to position me best--lots of drawing with red Sharpie, it better come off easily or I'm going to have to eschew V neck garments for a bit.....
At any rate, they took a scan while I was breathing normally, and then they tried having me take a deep diaphramatic breath and hold it for 20 seconds to see if it pushed my heart out of the line of fire, radiationwise. And it did, so that is very cool, I'll be doing that during rads. Then they traced my scar and a section of the skin around it, and are going to make this strange gel-like mold to put on the scar, which acts as a kind of a boost without actually giving a boost amount of radiation; it just helps target the radiation to the scar better.
Then I got six little tiny pinprick tattoos. Not particularly painful, certainly less so than getting a shot of any kind.
I am scheduled to start on May 28th and go for 25 to 28 sessions, they haven't decided yet.
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Ay me mateys. I got me 3 tattoos already and have another one scheduled for after chemo is done. for me, i'm far more leery about iv's then tattoos obviously. :-)
when i was first diagnosed, i commented to my nephew's wife (she's a nurse) that i'll probably have lots of scars after this is done. without skipping a beat, she just said, "yes, you will." she's a practical girl. :-)
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heh. I've always wanted a tattoo, although these are not exactly what I had in mind.Commented to a friend the other day that I am starting to feel like Rasputin--what will they throw at me next!0
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HI All
Well the job interview was a total waste of time. Why do company's misrepresent what they're all about along with the actual job that's available. I guess nothing ventured nothing gained. Was supposed to be a sales position then the guy says he really wants an office clerk? Slick website with no substance to back it up. I might have considered the office job the pay was a joke.
Anyway from there it was off to the hospital for my SIMA test. No results though yet as it has to be reviewed by the radiologist then the results will be sent to my MO whom I will see on Thursday.
I also notice that I don't smell like chemo anymore so that's a good thing although I now have radioactive dye cursing through my veins. I suppose that eventually gets peed out too?
Good luck everyone on their TX this week!!!
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I've always wanted a tattoo too but my fear of needles and anxiety for pain kept me.. go figure! I wonder though if I do the DIEP reconstruction would I be able to get a tattoo on my new friends and not feel anything? not sure how that works really.
Ali.. you win worst chemo I think. when I have bad days I know it could always be worse as it has been for some of you. Grats on being done tomorrow!
MLB-Grats on the no RADS!
Had my echo today and it will be a bit until I get the results. But the tech doing it just kept saying "your heart takes beautiful pictures" I wish all were like this. I take that as a potential good sign.
Went in for my Herceptin today, 1 week post tx5. I was down 14lbs. I was stunned. I knew I had been sick but didnt realize that much. I felt like I was on Biggest Loser.(too bad I didnt have some of the trainers to stare at while sick though
) They gave me a lecture in a loving way of course. Drinks lots. eat. and stop doing so much. Hard to do when its been your lifestyle though for the last 9 years. But I will try. Nothing can get in the way of that last treatment on May 17th!0 -
Today I found a saying that I'm hoping to have put on a bracelet but might also do a tattoo of:
"While I breathe, I hope."
That pretty much said it all.
I am again back in the chemo chair tomorrow (never took a break). This will be the 2nd of the next 7. Here's to getting this over quick, damnit.
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I am just getting home from my herceptain. I went in at ten am. Oh well at least I am home. Good luck to everyone.
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Moonflwr. Wow. That's very odd. The herceptin should take an hour at most. Sounds like you got stuck in the set up blues.
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Moonflwer
That is a long time. I know you are getting magnesium etc but when I was in for my last chemo there were 2 ladies there that were in and out in less that an hour. I guess they must go very slow with you with how things have gone.
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So does that mean I don't have it as it would have shown
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TAXOL questions:
sorry to yell but wanted to get your attention!
those of you who have had taxol--is it as hard on your veins as AC? do i need my PICC line ( I will NOT do a port) ??? or can i do taxol without the PICC? i don't mind the PICC just thinking that 12 weeks of the heat of the dressing around it...
and do we get neulasta again with taxol?????
hotter than hades today- actually only 86* but felt like a gazillion....air in our truck doesn't cool--waiting for son to give it a charge....it's only may!
"while i breathe, i hope"...like that gritgirl!!!!!!!!
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Lumpynme
I didn't notice any difference between the AC and Taxol except there were more T's (12 weekly) and they were far easier on me.
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Lumpynme
I don't know the answer to that for sure but my friends Mom was getting Taxotere intraveniously but it was only 4 TX's. It was hot today here too, couldn't wait to get the wig off when I got home. Really humid and now it looks like we're going to get a thunderstorm. Love a good storm though
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Taxotere is what I am getting, it is not good on veins. My onc actuallyed changed my dose as I was having so many SEs. Don't know if that helps on the picc line decision you could try it on the first tx and see how it goes. As for my tx, they ran the mag and potassium over two hours and a 500 cc bag of saline. Herceptin took only an hour. Set up was about an hour, so, a five hour infusion. Guess that is one reason I am beat LOL.
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Today when I had my SIMA I had to have the radioactive dye, I could have arranged to have a picc line in my port but honestly couldn't be bothered. The nurse I had wasn't trained in it so I said just go ahead and if it works ok I'm fine with it. She acknowledged that Taxotere can narrow the veins. There was no problem, but remember I've been really lucky all along with SE's.
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Lumpy, I am getting taxol but I have a port. This drug is hell for me, AC was a breeze, and I do get the neulasta shot
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Lumpy, I'm getting taxol w a port, but I do remember my onc saying that AC was really tough on the veins nothing about taxol. I don't think I'd want to get 12 weekly infusions tho wout a port or pic. Would you get a chance to heal? I hate getting blood taken from the same vein every week for blood draws.
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aith..i used to donate my blood plasma twice a week-did it for almost a year-never any prob with healing in between tho i now have scars where they would poke!
i'll probly opt for the PICC again-
really wish that i knew what my tx was going to be--also--is benadryl standard ? so will i need someone to drive me home? ok yea-i'm still praying for "the job"...dang it
thx everybody!
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Lumpy
I got benadryl during TX and I drove home. The only time I didn't was the first one because I had to have someone there in case I had a reaction.
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