Starting chemo July 2014
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coyote - bracelet arrived today - it is BEAUTIFUL. Thank you so much. Totally made my day. Wearing it now :-)
Round 2 has been better for me than round 1 I think (so far?). Maybe I am used to it, or not as scared? Or maybe I was just SO HAPPY to be able to have my tx...other than darned taxotere rash and GI stuff, I seem mostly ok...hope this stays the case!! Oh, and um...some serious discomfort downstairs...MO recommended coconut oil for that one. Starting today.
I love that we are starting to count down to next phases of our treatments...go team July!!
Ps - I have a long day too...blood an hour before MO. MO 2 hrs before infusion - the latter is just scheduling crap, no good reason...
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Hi Ladies! It's the day after my 4th (and last! Wheeee!) AC....and so far so good!
June chemo thread def had a lot of info re: Taxol. Teaching session with RN yesterday to get ready for next infusion with Taxol said SE's mostly bone aches/pains and peripheral neuropathies for fingers and toes...may notice darkening of nails but it is from AC (which I have already noticed on 2 fingernails) and possible that nails will stay same and just grow out dark spots and bands, or nails may fall off 😳 no more nausea with taxol though!..she also said I have probably lost most of what hair I would lose at this point and should start seeing regrowth sometime on the taxol. She said most likely will keep the brows and lashes I have left. And I have a fair amount of fuzz left on my head although it's way sparse up front and kind of looks like the galaxy on the back!
MO only warned specifically of grapefruit juice (something about it having been shown to interfere with metabolism of chemo drugs) and was instructed no multivitamin, no supplements (although vitamin D was okayed since my levels were very low), and no juicing! The juicing was more of a don't have it every day- if you want you can have it periodically, but it's best to take in what you are able via eating it. Reasoning is that juicing allows you to ingest far more veggies/antioxidants/etc. and that it is unclear what the effect is on the efficacy of the chemo so stick with ingesting via mastication. I did look up the vitamin content of a green juice from liquiteria- 1000% vitamin A! But there are others that are not so high...i like the organic avenue medicinal green juice.
Anyways, we are headed to the beach this weekend....finally as we haven't been all summer! Looking forward to seeing the babies paddling around.....and then planning a trip to celebrate the end of chemo sometime in november. Anyone else doing this? I just need something to look forward to!
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I've been told that the ACT will make everything fall out so it's a waitIng game for me, filled with hope that the eyebrows will be spared:)
If u gals speak to ur MOs about the anti oxidants, please share info. Would like to hear what they think.
taxol I hear causes neuropathy sometimes. I think during surgery, something happened to my Ulnar nerve bcuz ever since, my pinky and the ring finger get numb on both arms. It's kinda like neuropathy but it goes away so, permanent neuropathy I am not looking fwd to.
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Can't sleep...
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Me neither. I'm on dex tonight. It is the middle of the night for you, Mumford.
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I'm powering down and heading to the bed to see if there is any possibility of some sleep. I packed my gear and snacks for tomorrow at the clinic. I'm hoping I get good news about blood counts because I don't want to deal with the Neulasta issue.I'm glad you are liking the bracelets. I worried over the fit of the bracelets. If they don't fit, please let me know. We can resolve it.
G'nite - I hope
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wah I'm awake too....it's the dex...,i guess i'll give in and take an ativan.
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Well I managed a couple of hours on dex...hot flashes all night. All ready to go for infusion #3 in a couple of hours. I did find out my ALT (liver thing) was 81, just double the upper limit of normal (!!!!). It dropped substantially from 132 in a week. We'll see how far that envelope will be pushed this morning. I'm guessing they'll go for it and next time I check in, I hope I'm reporting an uneventful infusion (there hasn't been one yet...). I'll be jacked up on ativan (just for giggles), a booster of dex (extra 10mg) and benadryl (50mg) to ward off another allergic reaction to the taxotere.
For those of you going for treatment today, prayers all around for an easy day (and the days to come...).
N
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I just had my first chemo experience, one down 15 to go. I was so scared and cried when the drugs started to drip into my veins, knowing how my body and life will never be the same. How long before I lose my hair ??
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Kkarshner, I think it depends on what you're on. I am on AC and didn't truly start losing it until 2 days after my 2nd treatment. I still have some hair left but very thin. Glad you got through your first treatment. Someone said to look at chemo like this... cancer is your enemy, chemo is the enemy to cancer, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That is how I view chemo. Good luck to you and hang in there!
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Kkarshner; Be strong, you can do this, that chemo is your army, your warriers, next time as it drips in you repeat over and over "go forth my warriers and fight bravely". Hope your side effects are minimal, stay on top of them. As for hair loss, mine started really falling out on Day 14 after 1st chemo. Couldn't stand the hair all over my laptop so had Lew trim it down really short.
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Coyote - I pamper myself with Ambien the night before and 2 nights after my infusion.
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Here's what I found on taking antioxidants.Basically, there are studies both supporting they can help protect your good tissues from chemo as well as studies showing that they can protect the cancer cells too, especially the actual supplements more so than foods. There isn't a definite answer yet.
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Kkarshner,
Your life will sort-of be the same, depending on the severity of SEs. My life is pretty much the same, but it moves at a much S-L-O-W-E-R pace. I have reduced my responsibilities at work, but I still work. I still go scootering and swimming with my children, but I take it slowly. It took me 20 minutes to pack two lunch boxes last night (used to be 5-10), but it got done. I just set small goals for myself and see how many I can meet. You can't sweat the small stuff. If I don't change the sheets today, they'll still be there tomorrow (only dirtier).
I started losing my hair two weeks after my first AC infusion. Sorry to say, I didn't mind (it was thin and limp) and I bought a wig that looks better than my real hair.
Finally, the other ladies are right. Chemo is our weapon against the Known Killer that is/has been in our bodies. It ain't great, but it's better than remaining untreated (if chemo has been deemed the appropriate treatment).
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Coyote -
I got my bracelet today - it's beautiful! You said you were worried about fit, but mine is perfect. Here's a not-very-good picture of it (do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own wrist with an iPad?)
Thank you so much! I will wear it and think of you and all the July ladies!
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Try over the counter natural supplement called melatonin. 5 mg (one capsule) 1/2 hr. before bed. Surprised that it worked for me.
Good luck xo
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I had my last dense dose AC#4 Tuesday! So I'm going to be moving on to taxol as well...
When I had my blood work before chemo this time my counts were low for WBC RBC HGB HCT neutrophils and had high counts for lymphocytes monocytes and basophils (this was friday)
Tuesday when I showed up for chemo they had to do blood work again WBC had went up from 2 to 8 so was normal RBC HGB and HCT and lymphocytes were low while MCV was high. All of my blood work has been normal until now and its all greek to me anyway and I'm too tired to even care whst it means
Just know this final round of AC is kicking my butt haven't been out of bed have no energy, no appetite, I feel like an empty shell
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Chaosrains, I feel your pain. I told DH I felt like someone took off my big toe and drained the stuffing out of me.
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Ladies, what do you think of this style? I found this free sewing pattern online and whipped up one. It's reversible, so there are no open seams inside to irritate a sore scalp, and only two pattern pieces . I'm hoping these will be a little cooler than the crocheted ones while we are in the dog days of summer.
P.S. Back from my surgeon today for my 2 week follow-up. Pathology showed no sign of cancer in uterus or ovary, but the ovary had endometriosis. Starting Arimidex in 1 week. My breast cancer is very estrogen/progesterone positive, so I hope I can tolerate this drug. Shirley
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Mags, Hope you are starting to feel better. This has been a tough round for you.
Shirley
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Chaosrains how low are your RBC? Mine went below 10 and I had to get a shot of procrit to help bring them up. It didn't help quick enough and I dropped below 8 on RBC. My WBC count also dropped and I ended up having a blood transfusion. I have felt a lot better since the transfusion and I hope I can get thru the rest of my treatment without it dropping again. I hope you can get some relief soon and feel better. I understand how you feel.
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Friday WBC 2.43 RBC 3.10
Tuesday WBC 8.28. RBC 2.93
These are measured in k/uL
Oncologist went on vacation Monday thats why I originally had bloodwork on Friday before he left.
Im at the point where I don't know if feeling this way is normal or not for after treatment... face is puffy too... keep hoping I'll sleep it off
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chaosrains I sorry but what I wrote was incorrect. It was my Hgb that dropped below 8.
My totals when I required the blood transfusion were
WBC 1.0
RBC. 2.59
Hgb. 7.8
HCT. 24.9
If you don't get to feeling better i would get them to check your counts again. Hope you feel better soon.
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I got through round 3 today without incident. They ran a bag of dex, then a bag of benadryl before starting the taxotere (which they infused slowly, so it was a long day, but I'll take it.
Feeling really drowsy from the drugs now (6pm), but going to tough it out until an early bedtime and hope I get some solid zzz's.
Gonna drink my face off this time (and not in the good way...).
Take care, girls.
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yay Mumford!! Congrats on getting thru w no drama.
Are you doing 4 rounds or 6?
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Dixie my HGB was 9.6 HCT was 29.4
Guess tomorrow if I am not feeling better I will have to call onco office. I am always second guessing myself
Kind of makes me wonder with my levels so low already why they went ahead with the dose of AC Tuesday
Mags, I'm sorry you are having a rough go of it, hang in there!
Shirley, you are so talented!
Mumford, hope you have a sound restoring sleep and minimal SEs
Im off to lay around like a bump on a log til I can find some energy
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Elaine, I miss swimming. I was told to stay out of the ocean and public pools due to risk of infection, and I (obviously) don't have one of my own. Most summers I'd be in the ocean 4-5 days a week, after work and on the weekends, and this year the water's been extra-warm
Other than that, spot on with the slower pace. I've learned a lot of patience in the past couple of months!
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JennKay -- I read your message after I finished with my 25-minute lunch box job. It's sad how slow I am these days. I swim at my university pool -- they have a deep, deep pool for competitive diving that no one really swims in (except during competitive diving season). I've just been grabbing a noodle and paddling around. No serious strokes or anything. Maybe some back floating and paddling around with arms and legs.
Mumford -- hope you get some sleep tonight! I haven't been sleeping great every night, but reading about you, Mags, Coyote and VerukaK make me grateful for the 6 - 7 hours I typically manage.
For all with bad SEs -- hope they get better soon.
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Aw, ladies, it's not been as bad this time for big D and its accompanying pain, thanks to the new meds, and I believe the Effexor is mitigating the hot flashes, but the sleepless nights have really got me down. I've tried everything I have on hand, amytriptaline usually does the trick but not even touching it. I stay up until I can't keep my eyes open, but then I just don't sleep. Wish I could stay awake enough to watch a movie or something but I can't do anything but just lie there. I just don't want to add another drug to the mix.
Mumford, glad you got through it ok, get some rest. Shirley, I love that style, I have a similar one from the prosthesis shop. Coyote, Veruka, let me know if you find the cure for insomnia.
Love you ladies, praying for you.
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We are on our way home from shopping after treatment. It is good time for us too shop because there are specialty stores in St. George where I can get the strange food that is on my diet. And stuff that will work for the next couple weeks. Activa Light, Sparkling lemon water, roast chicken all seem to settle well - along with the dill pickles of course.I asked my MO about the anti-oxidents. Her response was kind of cute. She said there is no definite proof either way but some studies are indicating that concentrated and high doses might interfere with apoptosis which is what she is trying to accomplish with chemo. She said she is trying to kill things here! So she'd I eat my anti-oxidents in a good diet rather than take a lot of supplements. After chemo I can go for it.
All my labs came back great - no Neulasta yet.
Mags- Don't forget to send bracelet info. Anyone else too.
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