Starting chemo July 2014
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You and me, Mags. The Friday after treatment is the worst! Plus, my cleaning lady is coming, and I'll have to clear out to the law library soon. Thankfully, the library has comfy chairs with ottomans. I'll see if I can force myself to eat something first.
But, yeah, Pink Ninja! Enjoy the good days when you get them.
Hope everyone has the best day they can!
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Mags, for what it's worth, my drippy eyes and runny nose have cleared up substantially after going back on Allegra for about a week. Not sure if you've tried antihistamines ...
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pinkninja: wow, you look like you're ready to have a great day today! way to go.
I called onc this morning about my weakness and shortness of breath, just heard back from the nurse, PA says to just rest today and if sx get worse over the weekend to call the on-call onc. At least my concerns are on file, and today will be a recliner day.
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KiLin, I take rx clarinex, have for years. So not sue adding antihistamine would help a lot.
Puffin, recliner buddies.
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So, starting a low fever and have a cold. Day 10 past last chemo. My daughter had upper and lower GI last night and is in the basement. This is the first time she got sick in her entire life without a parent being with her, so I'm feeling sad, but also glad, as I didn't have to tell her mommy can't hold your hair this time. For me, started sneezing Tues night, my son has been coughing and sneezing, so I figured allergies, but Thursday when I blew that constant drip, it no longer was clear. Thursday night so stuffy had trouble swallowing, and started a productive cough with icky tasting gunk, you know, what you get with a chest cold. I normally wake up with a temp of 97.2, today it was 98.2. Ate breakfast, took a nap, it is now 98.9. Fortunately my WBC was good on Wed... or was it???? Maybe it was actually starting to rise due to this. Just called my MO, he gives you his cell (love him), but he was with a patient and said it isn't an emergency, I'll call you back. Yea, not an emergency, boo hoo I get to worry longer.
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ugh knm, hope you get an answer soon.
Puffin, mags, Elainetherese (and anyone else I have missed out - apols- chemo brain :-/), hope you guys move past SE soon
Pink - LOVE IT :-) so fun. I am jealous.
And finally - I am in the chair today, wearing my July chemo-sabe bracelet :-)
Thanks Coyote!!
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Wow pinkninja! Rock it! Love that color of pink too!.
I am on the up swing from my chemo a week ago to of 4 ACs completed. Stayed ahead of most of the SEs with the exception of two since they are new this round. The big "C" and used Senna or smooth Move tea as suggested by Onc and it worked as MOM and other meds didn't do the trick. Also suffering from heartburn this time around. Taking Zanatac and it relieves for a while but comes back. Seems to set in really bad around 3:00/4:00ish. Any natural suggestions? All these meds I my bedroom looks like pharmacy. Well the good thing I started to loose my hair on my head and cut it short and then buzzed it. Haven't really lost any hair any where else that I have noticed, which the legs and underarms would go :-). Fatigue was a beast this time around even stopped me from walking a few days.
Jenliza – glad you had a good weekend and that you had a chance to enjoy your birthday.
Magdelene – you look wonderful as usual. You are so photogenic.
Puffin - thanks for the oil tips. I plan on looking into this weekend. I need anything to help me sleep as I am so not following a sleeping pattern, except to wake-up between 4 and 5am every morning and not be able to get back to sleep. I then I have crash when I get off work. urgggh... Not enough family time :-(. Love that my grandkids want to take a nap with me makes my day.
Glad to catch-up with everyone.
Regards,
Angie
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Today I had my appointment at 10am with Nordstrom. As soon as I returned home around 11am I got into bed. I am really feeling the SE of fatigue, leg heaviness, restlessness, knee pain and nausea. Its been building since my last chemo session this past Tuesday 9/2/2014. I was told that I might need to change my nausea medicine since I'm still not feeling well this many days out. I called my ONC's office but all they suggested was doubling up on my Prilosec cause one of the chemo drugs could be causing acid issues which in turn cause the nausea. I guess I am going to spend the rest of Friday just laid up resting and hope that Saturday is a better day for me. Hope everyone else is well.0 -
Ugh! Redheeledwoman, I had chemo 9/2 and I can't even drag myself from one room to another! I can't imagine how you did that! I'm so shaky and exhausted., I'm heading to bed hours before normal.
Nini July warriors.
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I have missed so much on these boards!!
My WBC finally made it to 8 from 0.7 last week so I had AC # 3 on Thursday and got my Neulasta shot for the 1st time on Thursday. The tiredness has hit me sooner and I'm definately more nauseous despite the Emend. I have had to take another anti-nausea pill in evening. Wondering she the bone pain will hit with the Neulasta. The nurses and 2 pharmacists just tole me to take Tylenol if I need it instead of BenDryl or Claritin. hope I didn't make a mistake.
After all my chemo is done, I am getting a BMX since my breast are dense and with so many things they have followed up on or weren't sure about for years and the fact my BC couldn't even be seen my US, I want both out. I do have to think about reconstruction. The whole thing lasts for so long, it just seems like it's never ending. Timeline is worse than chemo.
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Still feeling a bit rocky here -- but, it's raining (hope you get some too, Mags). So, that means I get to skip my weekly scooter trip and probably swimming (indoor pools close if there's lightning). Maybe, I'll take the boys to a movie this afternoon -- I can probably get a nap in during the show.
Hope everyone else's SEs are giving them a break!
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Neoadjuvant chemo girls - so far there are topics on this site I recommend. I'm looking for implant, as all this flap stuff just sounds like too much pain for me, so I didn't put the different types of flap surgery in there, but they are there in the 'group' one.
http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/reco... this takes you to a summary of info
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44 this is the entire 'group' of topics on reconstruction
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/... info on sizing for implants
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/44/topic/... to get access to the 'picture forum' which is on a different site. I'm still awaiting approval.
Oh, I definately have 'crud', but fever only 1 degree, so OK. Guess that expensive Neulasta shot is doing it's job.
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I'm not having a good time if it. My fever started again thurs afternoon...was told to take antibiotics I was taking and Tylenol. Took Tylenol every 6hours and fri night I had a fever if 101 through Tylenol. I called hospital....doc wanted me to go to ER again, but understood that my counts were ok...and said up to you. My fever went down to 99.1....so didn't take Tylenol at 11:30pm when I was supposed to. By 2am I had 102 fever...took Tylenol. This morning I woke up with the chills...so here I am back at the ER....get this in the resuscitation room....fear of sepsis.
My WBC is 27!!!! But I still don't have any symptoms.... But fever, aches and chills..
Yet again I ruined my fiancé's plans to celebrate my bday... He had us open tickets today and a bdwy play tmrw...2nd time my f'in cancer treatment ruined his special plans. I am so over this...it's not like they even know why I have a fever...
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Jennliza, I wish I had some magic words to perk you up. I understand the feeling of disappointing others...but imagine if the tides were turned. I'm sure you fiancé feels a bit helpless and just wants you well...sending vibes of positive thoughts your way so that you can redirect all your energy to getting through the fever and feeling well.
And to all of you who are suffering with fatigue and other SE's...try to remember that when you feel your worst, post-chemo, that every day counts as a day toward feeling better. Easy for me to say...I'm in my 'break' week and I feel just fine, but dread knowing that next week at this time I will be wearing the tire treads of the truck that's coming after me...at that time I hope you count on all of you.
I hope everyone can spend a few minutes in their happy place this weekend....
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Hi there. I've been keeping up with reading the posts, but my chemo brain can't seem to find words to respond. Me - without words - wow. Acouple of things have come to mind... I was told by someone in the oncology world that chemo se's are cumulative over the series of treatments. Tiredness gets deeper and runny noses drippier and so on. I certainly can't argue with that.I am beginning to experience some neuropathy in the fingers of my right hand. I was working on a gourd the other day and put pressure on my lymph surgery side arm to hold the gourd down while I was using a saw. My fingers went totally numb. They took quite awhile to come back around and have numbed up off and on since then. I'm not sure if it is a chemo thing or a lymph thing. I'm hoping it is a temporary thing! One of my big fears.
I bought a mini-trampoline rebounder to help me with my exercise and started "walking". I think it will help me gain stamina by getting into a routine. I've never purchased a piece of exercise equipment because I figured they would become a clothes rack. Hopefully, I will actually do this. So far, so good. My cat, Sunny, thinks it is a perfect cat bed.
I hope it is a good week-end for all.
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It's raining here also, ElaineTherese. The dogs refuse to go out in it. Mumford, thanks for your words of encouragement. We all need that.
Jennliza, poor baby! You just can't seem to catch a break, can you? Sending gentle, masked hugs. Eventually you will get your birthday celebration, and I'll bet that fiancé of yours makes it one to remember.
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Jennliza, your post came in while my computer was in a "freeze" and I was waiting for it to recover. I feel so bad that you are back in that spot. Mumford is absolutely correct in saying that your fiancé will understand that it isn't you disrupting the plans.I hope they can get all of this figured out and resolved quickly. Thoughts and prayers are headed in your direction.
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Jennliza -- Ugh.... Cancer sucks. Best wishes for a speedy recovery....
Coyote -- I own a stationary bike that has gotten dusty from time to time... But, when I have the energy, I use it. I also enjoy swimming with the kids on the weekends.
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twins, thanks for all that recon info.....will need that. Am feeling the same way about implants vs.flaps. D I really want to go through all that trouble. However, I am doing rads, so implants I hear might be a problem.
Jenn, ditto what everyone else said. U didn't cause a dent in the celebrations and your fiancé sounds awesome and I'm sure he understands and feels helpless and wish he could something. U have the time later for celebrating. Now concentrate on getting better instead of the "shoulds". Hugs
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jennliza- sending you hugs and good healing juju so you get to celebrate your bday soon with your sweet fiance. And today was so hot and humid and gross anyways!! A better day will come soon for you to bday it up.
Knmtwins- hoping you are feeling better too...
Wishing everyone a SE gentle weekend- including myself!
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Let's talk neuropathy.
Coyote, I read your post with great interest. I mentioned earlier that I was having some issues with hands and feet but mine is presenting more like itching than numbness. My fingers and toes are in ice during infusion, so maybe that has protected the tips of my digits...I will speak to doc about this on Tuesday. Please keep us posted as to the status of your numbness. It sounds like it might be functional, since you can pinpoint it to a specific event...let's hope. I've been reading up on neuropathy and it seems scary if it progresses. The treatment seems to be to lower the dose of chemo, or stop it altogether.
Does anyone else have any thoughts? Who had the bad feet? (I'm so sorry I can't remember...) How did it start? My feet aren't at all red, just very itchy (as are my hands). It comes and goes.
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Blownaway...it was you with the bad feet. How are they now? How did it start? I wonder if this is my issue and not neuropathy...but I don't have any redness. What did they do to treat it?
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hi July sisters,
Well I am back in the ER...
Running 101 after my chemo on Friday...REALLY hoping they don't tell me I have to stay :-(
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Mumford - At this point, my feet look bruised (purplish) where before they were red and looked burned. It felt as though had stepped into an inch of boiling water. The redness was on the bottom and sides, no blistering but the nurse that I emailed a pic to was concerned about cracking and bleeding. Someone (can't remember who) on this website suggested that I use nipple cream that nursing mothers use and I believe that's what prevented my feet from getting worse. Eventually, my feet started itching and I began using Benedryl cream, with the heavier nipple cream on top of that and kept a pair of socks on at all times. When I went on Sept 2nd for what I thought was my last chemo, my onco checked my feet and he and his PA agreed that it was the worst case they had ever seen. My bloodwork that day was so good that they decided I should go for another 2 rounds of chemo as long as my feet did not react as much again and to prevent this from happening, they lowered the Taxotere from 80 to 60. So, depending on how my feet hold up, I have to do 2 more rounds. By the way, my thumbs and forefingers have a slight bit of numbness and the nails have some pain that reminds me to be more careful when I try to use them as tools. Hope this helps.
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Ugh, RainDew..... hope you don't have to be hospitalized. Also, Jennliza, I hope you're at home as well.
kmntwins -- Thanks for those helpful links. I have not really thought much about reconstruction before.
I know that our oncologists have chosen the chemo that they think is best for us, and I can't really complain about getting dense dose AC, as my SEs haven't been too bad. However, I was talking to MO last week about some of the struggles that seem to accompany the cytoxan/taxotere combination. MO said that many of her patients didn't tolerate that combination very well, and that many quit their treatment before completion. So, kudos to the CT ladies here for sticking it out.
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Blownaway, thank you. That's good info. Did you notice a difference in the side effects when they lowered the dose? I'm thinking of asking for a lower dose...
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Wish I could help with the neuropathy discussion, but mine predates chemo by a long time. Mine feels like a low current of electricity running through them. My feet are either freezing or burning. My calves are always cold. I keep socks handy and they're on and off all day. At night, feet in and out of covers.
On the bright side, feeling a bit more human this morning, no sign of D.
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From what my MO said to me about dose reduction, it is normal to decrease the dose as the series progresses. Because I was doing well, she chose not to reduce for #3. I suspect there will be a reduction for #4 because of the slight right hand index and middle finger numbness and maybe something going on in my left ring finger. I too have been icing during infusion. There is no nail discoloration happening.Drats...#4 coming this week. Just when we are feeling better; however, I do look like I am in misery with tears dripping down my cheeks all the time.
RainDew and Jennliza (and everyone else who comes up with a fever): Do everything they tell you to do for this fever thing. Maybe it isn't serious, but it can be! We're thinking about you. Please keep us in the loop. We worry.
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Raindew and Jennliza: hope your fevers have both come down by now and that you're both home.
I'm feeling a little better today. Lew and I went and did a bit of shopping, needed to buy a birthday present and found a collage of photo frames on sale 50% off that I think she'll enjoy. Now it's time to relax a bit. At my HS reunion this summer I'd heard that one of my classmates was battling cancer, her obit was in the paper this morning. So sad.
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I'm the one who swears by Lansinoh - pure lanolin ointment, strongest emollient out there, better than udder cream. I had real issues with my lips last time, this time have used every night before going to bed. I also had issues cycle 2 with pealing hands, used it for that, rub on my cuticles, as they feel like they've been pushed (like at a manecure) but haven't had one, this scares me! Remember - don't contaminate things. I squirt a bit on a piece of paper, or a clean butter knife, then use a finger. That way I'm not contaminating the whole $10 tube. Can be found in the baby section, as it is for cracked nipples from breastfeeding. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lansinoh-HPA-Lanolin-Cream-for-Breastfeeding-Mothers/17206542
My onc suggested L-Glutamine, and Vitamin B complex for neuropathy. I haven't done either, but need to start!
He also suggested eating oily fish, I can't remember for what, (just Googled it, too funny, it is for chemo brain) salmon fresh or canned, trout, fresh tuna, but I haven't had the stomach to cook fish in the house and have never been a fan of canned salmon. I was bumbed when he said canned tuna wouldn't cut it. BTW, this website talks about mercury content and how to find out if locally fresh caught is safe. http://www.skincancer.org/healthy-lifestyle/vitam...
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