Starting Chemo June 2014
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island--what are neutrophils, I have seen that before and I have no idea! Is it white or red blood cells?
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neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that fight bacteria
They are fast growing cells, hence why they are destroyed by chemo. That is what they are primarily checking for when you get blood taken pre chemo.
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I called my boss and she said also to stay home. She is going to find out what kind so I can call my MO today. I am off now til Monday anyway now. She is off Monday and Tuesday. She gets this babysits on those days! I guess I shouldn't be to to paranoid as there are ocassions I need to run register for a couple customers. We are heading into slow season. But I always hand santize after each customer and run sanitizer over the keyboard mouse. My desk in the office I always use Clorox wipes several times a day and my phone! I also put the paperwork bin just inside the door instead of behind my desk! So on a normal day I do not have contact with lots if people. But this mono thing got me thinking more of not stepping in to help on register.
Anyway I hope all of you have good days and can all stay on schedule for treatments and get it over with! I have 2 more taxol and will be done sept 18th. I just have to not get neuropathy worse than what I have otherwise he will postpone! He told me yesterday he likes to wait 4 weeks before radiation, I want to be done before Thanksgiving! Well enough ranting for today. I will take advantage of being home and putter around cleaning a bit before the pain hits tomorrow afternoon like last time. But now I am being proactive and will start the pain pills tomorrow morning and the claritan this morning and up the water intake! See if that helps!
Take care all!
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Last night I started to feel achy and a bit feverish. Took my temperature and it was 101.2. I called my oncologist' s emergency number. I am 3 hours away from my infusion center, so obviously, I wasn't dropping in for a visit! He sent me to my local ER to get my white counts checked.
I sat in the waiting room with all those sick people for 3 hours (got there at 9pm). At midnight, I had the triage nurse take my temperature. It was 99.5. I left!
Today I have to call around and see where I can go to get my white counts checked. I still have a fever of 99.5 so something is going on...Just don't know what!
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Radical,
I, too, have run fevers from time to time, this week also, but usually just under 100. I take my temp on 2 different thermometers because I have seen big discrepancies sometimes between what i get at home, and what the drs office gets.
I tend to run under the '98.6 normal'. When I started with A/C and had the 99+ for several days, my onc tested for a uti and sent me to an infectious disease specialist. Now they seem to ignore the temp unless over 100.3.
Try getting a 2nd thermometer at home, - it may show that your first one is not so accurate.
FEEL BETTER!
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Nycgirl,
I might just get that second thermometer. I usually run about 97.5 or so. My temps on chemo have frequently been in the 99 range but this was the first time over the 100.4 Mark.
After telling my onc this morning that I bailed on the ER, they are faxing a script for blood work to the hospital's outpatient lab. The results will be sent directly to me onc and the next step will be decided from there. I do know I don't feel very well...nothing specific, I just don't feel right.
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Radical,
Your 'normal' is low, as mine is, so I know what you mean about not feeling well even with just 99+
I am often reluctant to take tylenol because it may mask a higher temp, but when I do take even just one extra strength tylenol I feel better.
I hope your temps stay down and you feel better SOON!!
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Thanks NYC!
My onc called in that script to the outpatient lab so I got to avoid another trip to the ER! Even with travel time, it only took an hour. Now I sit at home and wait for my onc to call (he requested the results be sent to him) if my counts are low.
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Mompv I hope you stayed away. Mono is super bad. My daugher was 16 when she got it and she was super sick for 3 months. Imagine how sick you could get with your counts down. Wish you luck.0 -
I'm on my round 4 AC! Halfway!
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Wow Canuckmom you look amazing. I look like a truck hit me. I hope you have no se. My 4th A/C was the worst.0 -
Radical, - I am glad that you avoided the er and it was a quick round trip for you. Now relax and feel better! I bet you are just reacting to the chemo with slight fever. Let us know how you are doing!
CanuckMom, - you are beautiful! Congrats on getting done with A/C!
I saw substitute onc today, mine is on vacation this week. I am tentatively scheduled for second DD taxol on Monday, but didn't get info re taking decadron . Last time I took 5 pills the night before, and 5 the morning of, treatment. I think it is supposed to be less this time, but am waiting for onc to call me back. Its Friday afternoon and i HOPE i get a call back before they all leave for the weekend!
Never a dull moment. =/
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I did stay away! Which turned out well since the pain is starting today from taxol! I am going to start the pain meds tonight since I have to be ok to go down and get my neulasta shot tomorrow morning!
2 more to go....,
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yay Canuck!
Got AC #4 today too!
Here's to a side effect free weekend!!
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Yay AC grads! Woohoo!
Mompv glad you stayed away from the mono...that is so inconsiderate of your coworker, even just exposing healthy people is sick and wrong, imo.
Felt great this week, one more. Have a spectacular weekend all!
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Mompv, nobody who has mono should go to work. Your boss should put a stop to that!
Radical - hope your temps go down and you feel better!
Islandmama - #4 feels the hardest so far. They took my blood Thursday and my counts were 1.3, so I had to do rush bloodwork which ended up at 1.7, so I got the full dose. This has been the worst so far, hope not so for you. Yesterday I slept all day...today I'm a little better.
Laurais50 - Have you met with your oncologist yet? Are you done for sure?
Hang in there ladies!
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Well ladies...I'm writing to you from my hospital bed. After being sent back to the local ER Friday night because when my onc in PA called the lab I went to here in NY and was told there was no record of my labs, it was found that my white count was low, but not low enough to be neutopenic.
But THEN, my labs appear out of nowhere from earlier in the day and it shows that my white count is lower than it was earlier in the same day...now the NY doc's are worried. They call PA. The onc on call in PA asks my NY ER doc's to admit me for observation and draw blood in the morning. They drew my blood this morning at 6am. A doctor finally came to see me around 2pm and informed me I would be here 3 or 4 days!
Even though I was only borderline neutropenic, they have no intention of releasing me until my white counts go back up because I still have a fever...
So, here I sit hooked up to IV antibiotics in my sterile private room where no one can come see me without a mask.... I'm not happy and feeling like a prisoner!
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Radical! So sorry to read that you are in the hosp
( but better safe than sorry!) I hope that you feel better and get out of there SOON!
Rest rest rest!!
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radical---I'm sorry! Get those counts up soon
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aw that sucks radical, get better soon!
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Radical, that sure sucks! I hope your count goes up quickly.
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Radical that really sucks and I am sorry. I hope you get better soon.Well here is the deal...NO more CHEMO!!!!! Yippie the Dr agreed with my points of view my thoughts and feelings, said that I should be fine with the Arimidex (hormone pills) He is ordering me to do the Braca1 Braca 2 test to see if I carry the gene. If it's positive then he would like for me to remove the other breast, and my ovaries. and that my daughters have a higher chance of getting cancer. But as of now I'm not to informed about it, I will learn more about when the time comes. He also said as of now with all I've done plus the pills that I only have a 5% chance of reoccurance. All in all he was in support of me stopping had a great attitude and never once second guess himself. I am so glad I went with my gut to talk to him first. I am so happy...Can hardly wait for me reco surgery, but I will wait for the Braca test to be done first and then take it from there. Thank you all for your support. hugZZZz
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Radical, I am so sorry! Hope it gets resolved soon, that's scary.
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Radical, that is so scary! I hope your counts go up soon!!! Post anytime, if your bored or want to vent, we all want to know how you are doing.
Laurais50 - Congrats, I'm really happy for you!
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Still in the hospital and still getting antibiotics for an infection no one could find! Lol.
The good news is my white counts are up to 2.4....at least they're headed in the right direction . Today, they uncooked me from the IV for an hour, put a mask on me and sent me outside to the healing garden. I feel good having breathed some fresh air!
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Aw Radical this really sucks! Are you doing the neulasta shots? I had having to have the shot on top of Taxol.
My pain today is a 6 with the hydo/actemaminphen. It just rolls down my body! It is hard to type too with the numbness in my fingers and hard to walk with my feet being numb.
I am soooo done. My boss called yesterday and told me they bleached everything I would come in contact with. The girl with mono's dr told her it wasnt the airborne variety and that I shouldnt have any concerns....REALLY!!!!! is he an oncologist?????? I have an appt with my BS tomorrow and will ask her. The girl doesnt work until Wed or Thurs. I cant remember. Anyway my brain is not functioning properly! This really scared me. I would sometimes fill in on register but not now! I always used germx after each customer but...now I am scared to have any contact. I willl just hide in my office and do my bookeeping and answer phones. It is getting slow anyway in the RV world so I will take more time off. Well enough rambling! I amgoing to do some research on this neuropathy business and what I can do to ease the symtoms.
Rest everyone today!!!!! We deserve to relax and take care of ourselves,
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radical, so sorry you are in the hospital, glad you are getting some fresh air.
Canuckmom- beautiful pic! Congrats on reaching the halfway mark.
I have my last chemo infusion Friday!!! Excited! But dreading the infusion itself. The fatigue and nausea are getting progressively worse. Despite tons of coffee and tea, and attempts to exercise.
Anybody have any tips to combat the fatigue?
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mompv,
I was not doing Neulasta with Taxol and quite frankly I can't even imagine the pain I got from Taxol PLUS the Neulasta pain!!!
Today my counts are up to 2.4.....still too low. The oncologist here ordered a neupogen shot for me. It's the same idea as Neulasta, but it's given for 3 days. I got it today at about 11am and they just came in to draw blood again. I'm not sure what my immediate future holds. If my counts are up, they will send me home tomorrow and I can come in as an out patient for my neupogen shot.
The problem is, I haven't spoken to my own oncologist in Philly since I've been held hostage in my local hospital. I am supposed to go for my second Taxol infusion Tuesday...even if my counts are up, do you gals think they'll do it with the weekend I had? Will they put it off a week? What happens if my dd Taxol regime gets disrupted?
I'll be calling my own oncologist in the morning, but I hate having no idea what options might be discussed!
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Radical and Mompv - I hope that you are feeling better!
The onc that I saw on Friday suggested eating foods rich in magnesium to help with neuropathy. She mentioned nuts and mango specifically.
Worth a try!
I have had only one taxol so far, should be having the next tomorrow, but it depends on the bloodwork that was done on Friday. I do know that my white count was 77,000, so may not need neulasta this time. Also, she said not to take the 5 decadron tonight and tomorrow morning.
Eloqui - it's hard to deal with the fatigue, - but dont push yourself too much. Your body needs to take it easy!
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Thanks. I guess I should expect to feel tired during chemo. It's just tough to feel so tired for so many months now, ever since the surgeries started back in March.
Also, my onc suggested B6 for neuropathy which I've been taking w/taxotere.
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