Starting chemo August 2014
Comments
-
gatomal, my legs feel like that too. I get taxotere every three weeks, so I wonder if that's the cause (same class of chemo, anyway).
0 -
kellogg, I'm glad you were able to do #3. Hopefully #4 will happen too!
I took cookies in today too, though nothing fancy, Just oatmeal chocolate chip, while I still had some energy to make them.
0 -
twas the night before chemo and all thru the house
Not a creature was happy, not even my spouse,
The anti nausea drugs were hung on the mantel with care
And hopes that that Chit might my body spare
The ladies were cozy, all snug in their chairs
While visions of wigs replaced their hairs.
I in my hat and you in your turban
Had just settle in for a nice long infusion.
0 -
kellogg, so glad you were able to get it out of the way!
Catie58, The fluid ivs really help, I had to do it once. The seabands worked but not totally for me, but they are cheap and good to have around. Try them, especially if you are driving around.
Eilen, hope you get your taste buds back soon, that sucks and I have had it too. I am jealous of your job, not possible for me now.
Just made the coffee, all is well so far with smell and taste but am sure it will not last. Usually after neulasta it all goes to chit. Last time though, I did not take the claritin and the pain was not bad, but the stiffness was! I feel each and every place where I have arthritis starting.
Goin to try get out today and do some shopping, hope to find a tree and need some new decorations too. I get car sick after tx so will just have to see. Anyone got their tree up yet? It is going to be 81 here today.
0 -
Wow Eileen, I sure do know what it feels like to woorry that every pain is cancer. I was having some shooting pain in the lumpectomy breast and decided to believe it was cancer cells dying from the chemo! Teehee. Love, Jean
0 -
Hey Ladies, hope everyone is having a great weekend so far.
Wizard,Bippy and Catie57: Congratulations and doing the Happy dance for you. How are each of you doing after your last tx.
Eileen you are not far behind and can't wait to celebrate with you too. My last infusion is January 15th with a two week break then 6 to 7 weeks of rads.
Cassiecat -- love the the peom/song. Got a good laugh.
JustAmy -- glad there was no hospital stay for you.
Bippy - I hope you found a tree. We usually put ours up the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Kellogg - so glad you were able to do #3. How are you doing?
Gatomel -- how are you doing? I feel like that too but in my arms.
I am day 3 after Taxol treatment #4 of 12 and last night was a bear. Aches, pains and just little sleep. I even experience stabbing pains for a while last night for the first time and they just come with no warning. I still say AC was much worse in terms of side effects as I felt like I was hit by a bus; with that said the SEs from Taxol are just different and there is already anytime to recover from week to week. Thank goodness today was much better and Sunday's are always my veg out days to prepare for my most fatigued day which is Monday. I found today that just moving around helped a lot so I prepared my house for Thanksgivng -- or I should say my DH, DDs and son I just orchestrated (big smile). I hope I didn't over do it, but we are ready. The plan before I was dx was to have Thanksgiving at my house and we decided to keep it here. I don't have to lift a finger as my three SILs, my Mom, and my sister are planning and hosting for me. I feel so special. They have put together a good pot luck menu and organized so much (we have a big family). They have even forewarned me that if I even try to host or do anything, I will get sent to my room immediately, LOL.
0 -
Hi ladyB! Your thanksgiving sounds wonderful. I envy your large caring family! I hope you feel good soon and can truly enjoy it.
I slept lots last 2 days, and the dreaded neulasta is today. This am woke up with raging big D, but I will medicate more for it and be good with food. I keep telling myself only 10 more days of feelin low, maybe less if I am lucky. I can do coffee today and that is a bonus. My sweet kitty did not leave my side all night, she knows!
No tree yet, they should have some out this weekend in the tent places. Monday and Tuesday are big days for me. Meet with radiologist and BS. I am sure to be busy shopping for my surgery supplies soon, as it will likely be within about 10-15 days! I am ready for my date. Already ordered a cheap zip front sports bra online and will use the list from the board for the rest.....am lookin into big fake prosthesis now hahahahahaha
Hope all are doing as well as possible today....we are almost there! Maybe some will have the same surgery dates, we can really be in it together
0 -
Hello everybody...
I'm so happy to know many of us will be finishing the hard chemo rounds. The two things I am looking forward too are getting my taste buds back and touching my own hair...:-) I am kinda sad thinking that some may stop coming here and I will loose tracks on how everybody is doing...:-( I have seen few posters disappear...
Kellogg I am glad one is done!!!!!!!! Hope you will get minimal SE.
Justamy glad to see you do better this time. It had been so rough for you most of the time...
Cassiecat love your poem...it seems like the days are better nowadays...:-)
Have you got your tree Bippy? We cut one cider tree from the back woods of the farm, too early for now, it will be brown by Christmas .....
Eileen dec 1st for the last of hard chemo ? I will be on the following day.
I just got to taste the real food today. The metallic taste seems to be prolonged for each treatment. I'm glad I will be able to taste the turkey and pie this year's thanksgiving.
Have a blessed Sunday ladies. Stay strong . Hugs to you all
Shirley
0 -
I don't want to jinx things, but I woke up today feeling decent! This is normally my nauseous, migraine day, but so far so good. We'll see what happens! I have a little bit of Neulasta pain but I'm taking Tylenol and hoping that will be all I need. I slept ten hours last night, after basically doing nothing all day!
I think Bippy started the poem, and I added to it. Would love to see another verse.
We're driving to my mom and dad's house Thursday morning for Thanksgiving, and I'm looking forward to that. It'll be a nice distraction for all of us.
I can't keep up anymore with who's done with what, but it feels good to see so many of us moving through and past these treatments.
0 -
cassie and pangitor, i slept really well and alot. Let us hope it continues! The metal taste. Ugh, I will not miss that. Just came from LAST neuplasta shot, woooohooooooo! Ate some mac and cheese, homemade and it was good. I cannot go in the car again today, have Big D so near my toilet i must be. Ha, yet another poem!
I think I may just lay around all day, very fatigued, GI issues and not feelin like doing much. For the first time I aint guilty about it. DH will do all the cleaning today, he is a gem. Off to pound gatorade and watch law and order. How is everyone else today
0 -
Happy Sunday everyone! I had chills and a low fever last night. This is apparently my normal with Taxol. Feeling better this afternoon but not looking forward to more chills and fever tonight and aches and pains Monday. Just one more to go!!!
LadyB your Yhanksgiving sounds amazing. We are hosting at our house too. My mother in law is coming from Ireland, my parents and brother and my husband uncle! I won't be doing the cooking either.
0 -
HI Ladies, I don't want to jinx myself, but usually today and tmrw are my absolute worse days. I am on additional steroids this last time around. I am not fatigued, actually awake and moving a little. I have an appetite which is also unusual. I will say had a mishap last night. So embarrassing! I got up 3:00 am out of sound sleep with urge to pee. Couldn't make it to the bathroom. Came flooding down my legs. Never happened to me before. I was just like, what is happening.... I had to jump in shower. I blame the steroids, but if that was the down side, so far the rest is good. I am taking it easy and hoping it continues. Got some online Xmas shopping done, luckily not too many exchanges this year. Really hoping that when finished w steroids I don't get too fatigued and Thanksgiving day will happen. My sister does Thanksgiving every year, so we will travel down to her.
Glad to hear everyone seems to be managing thru SEs and I wish you all good days ahead and a Happy Thanksgiving.
0 -
Hello warriors!
Hope everyone has had a pretty good weekend. I still come here everyday send think about each of you. I'm 5 weeks post chemo and gave had 13 rads. I still am recovering from chemo. Still give the heavy legs and my toes hurt. Last week several of my toenails had turned black. Ugh that was a month after last chemo. Food tastes better, but lately nothing tastes good just not much of an appetite. At least food is not like cardboard or metal now. Each day is in improvement in some area send I am grateful for that.
Sleeping better this past week. Have one more week before I start arimistan. Then will have to sort through any SEs there.
The Rads have not been to bad so far. Beginning to itch and a little red . Kinda tender but tolerable. Last week had some fatigue. Rested a lot this weekend .
Hang in there ladies! You are amazing fighters! Bless you all.
0 -
Hi Ladies! Love seeing that some of you are all done with this nasty chemo! It's also nice to hear all of your thanksgiving plans cause its something in our lives that kinds can be normal...even if someone else is cooking etc. I am going to 2 Thanksgivings as I do every year. My mom will have dinner (my 85 year old grandma actually cooks it) on Thanksgiving day. We drive 3 hours there, eat and visit then go to my FIL house ( another 2 hours away or so) Thanksgiving night and visit till Saturday when we have our meal with my Hubby's side of the family. I'm glad that I will feel pretty good then!
For now, I'm on my 10th day of really terrible D. I filled my prescription for the medicine just 4 days ago and have taken almost my month's supply...been taking as directed...just need to call MO.
I'm sorry if I've seemed whiney. I have had my share of aweful SE but no more than anyone else. Mostly, I just have really bad GI issues for about 2 weeks and fatigue. I have been fortunate in that the AC part was a breeze for me and that I have never had mouth sores, metallic taste, loss of taste or neuropathy just to name a few. Chemo just sucks for everyone. Thanks for being there for me.
I'll be on here all week, but in case some of you aren't.... Happy Thanksgiving!!
0 -
Catie 57= I had the big D on my kitchen floor one morning. Thought something was strange and looked down. . THANK GOD my BF was at work. Wearing a white bathrobe. What a mess. I was a liitle freaked out from then that it would happen when I was out. My BF thought it was a riot. Wanted to buy me pampers. My neice just had a baby that week. He wanted me to call her and borrow some from the baby.
Dec1st =LAST CHEMO. A little nervous. What will fight this stuff after radiation. I know I will get over this. Can't wait to be normal again. Miss my taste buds maybe more than my hair at this point. I hope I can eat for Thanksgiving. Sick of scrambled eggs. Going to my brother's. Alot of my family is flying in. Don't know if it because I have "the cancer". Who cares ,can't wait to see them. I hope I don't cry all night. I am now an expert on crying at the drop of a hat or should I say eye lash since I keep losing mine.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
0 -
Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow cancer fighters. I do not post often, but read regularly and think and pray for you all too. I am thankful for this website, the discussion boards, and the real people I meet from all over the world who offer insight and support. Through my taxotere teary eyes, I am grateful for you all.
Fondly,
Jeni E
0 -
Justamy and Eileen my top SE is the big D too.
Eileen I do wear attend pull up usually on day3-10. On the worst case, I couldn't even tell if I'm going to have big D or just fart. Sorry sounds nasty....:-( I wore them after my 2 C sections too.
0 -
catie, please! i crapped my pants twice during this chit, and it aint necessarily over! No shame, it is not like we want to do it. You are among friends.
Hope, thank you for your rad update, it helps me as I got my initial visit with rad doc today. Glad you are doing ok, sorry bout the tootsies.
Eileen, the last one is hardest going in emotionally, for me it was. I try not to worry about after tx.....but do also wonder what will keep this chit away? are you going on any pills after? I have to research it, they want to put me on something to supress estrogen but I am only weakly positive for it....anyways, Have a wonderful holiday with your family!
Today so far is ok but it is early. Yesterday was an emotional mess, restless, GI issues, blech. Keep dreaming of my surgery, not fun. I just cannot wrap my head around it even now. Everyone tells me the bmx is nothing compared to recon....i am having that delayed so just a bmx for me now, no TEs til after rads. Sorry to ramble but my brain is all over today.
0 -
good morning,
I have been awake since 4:30, because do steroids. Jumped in shower, did some laundry and reading my book. Oh well, better then fatigue and feeling sick. Very blessed this time around. Just to clear up last my last post. It was all water and no chit lol just so unexpected and no control.
Going to try to take it easy and not overdo today. Hope you are all taking care.
0 -
Good morning everyone.
I have still managed to escape a migraine this time around!!! It could happen at any time, but I am so, so grateful. That has been my worst SE by far this whole time, and it would be amazing to get to skip it this time around altogether. I slept a lot again last night, although I didn't sleep well. I had to get up at 3:30am which woke up the cats and dog, which woke up DH...oh well. Otherwise I'm just dealing with an upset GI tract (though not so bad as some of you!), sensitive fingers/nails and general aches and pains.
Bippy, I've stopped feeling guilty about not doing so much too. This fatigue and all is the real deal, and chemo is not for sissies!! Good luck with your appointment today and let us know how it goes. I get a little freaked out when I start to think about surgery, so I try not to for now, but easier said than done! I've had 4 other surgeries in the past (all abdominal) and it freaks me out a little bit.
Kellogg, hope the fever and chills are subsiding and don't become a big problem for you.
Catie57, I think we've all had some moments we'd like to just forget! I definitely had some when I was pregnant... I hope you have a restful day.
Hope50, it's good to hear where you're at and how it's going. 5 weeks post-chemo and 13 rads?! Awesome.
I hope each day does continue to get better and better for you. I will be doing Tamoxifen I think, after all is said and done.\justamy, you're not whining at all. I think you've had it really rough, and I feel for you.
Eileen, you're so close to that last one!! Your BF sounds like a great guy.
My eyelashes are thinning too. It's such a bummer to see them, and my eyebrows, growing sparser.Jeni E, glad you popped into say hello. I don't know how I'd get through all of this without the experiences of those who have gone before as well as all of you who are going through it now.
0 -
Bippy=I am a triple negative. So,only thing for me after treatment is prayers from my friends and God's plan. There so far is no definitve treatment as of yet. Trials are in process. I could not get into one. I am going back to Baltimore in Feb for follow up appointments. I will ask my MO there. I will also ask my MO here in Florida. I am trying to work hard on staying positive. That I got this crap out of me! Most people do 4 rounds of chemo. I chose to do 6. Who knows?
I am really down today. This weekend was my girlfriend for jr high school son's wedding. He was born with cancer.Yes,born with it! Tumor on adrenal glad. She was told he would die the night of his birth. He is now 31 and got married. I used to give him his drugs when he was an infant. His Dad died when he was 47 from bladder cancer. I could not go to the wedding. Did not have the energy. Did not want to go on a plane and crowded airports. Did not feel well enough. This is my friend who went with me to my appointments when first dx. I have been crying all day. She sent me pictures as the wedding was going on so I could be part of it. I HATE CANCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I woke up with acne. Oh! I'm looking better for my son who arrives tomorrow. I am now bald,bloated,no eye lahes,no taste buds,constipated, and bad skin. I look like Bride of Chucky.
Sorry to be a downer. It is rare that I am.
Hope everyone has a great day
0 -
Oh, Eileen, {{hugs}}}. One of the things I journaled about this weekend was how it easy it is to feel SO down about all that we're missing because of cancer and our treatments. I'm so sorry you had to miss such an important event. You WILL get past this - we all will. And we'll make up for all that we can!!! And don't worry about how you look for your son - he's just going to be glad to be with you. I know I would be, if it were my mom, and I know my daughter doesn't care either. It's just about the love, not the looks. {{more hugs}}
0 -
i had my last chemo on Thu.I am so miserable but less than last time because I don't have to do it again.
My eyes are gooey. I ache. I am so, so tired. I lost control of my diarrhea and I need to go clean up my bathroom. My in laws were visiting all weekend (not sure who to be annoyed with, them for deciding to come without checking if it was ok or my husband for not telling them no), plus I am so cold and we don't have the heat on yet. Here in Arizona a day like today where the temp is from 29 to 59 degrees is COLD but it's supposed to hit 80 this weekend.
0 -
eileen, I am so sorry that a wonderful experience was taken from you by this chit. It makes me so mad, when i really consider how it hurts so many nice people, and it seems like all kinds of horrors of humans live forever with no health issues! I know it is not a fair world....and my perception is not really true, but.....doesn't is strike you that way sometimes? but I know your friend, and son, understand and could care a wit about your bald head, only that you are okay and here.
Random, i too feel like slowbaked doggie caca. The GI issues are ridiculous, I am afraid that I will ruin the rad docs toilet. No control over the Big D. How fetching I am! Well, he will just have to deal with it. I too am struggling mightily today with depression and anxiety. Overwhelming. Off to take a xanax, yes, I give up
0 -
Life is definitely not fair. My dad's here to help out. His breakfast: coffee, a doughnut, a cigarette and some Smarties. But I'm the one with cancer... daily green smoothie, exercise, organic food, blah blah bah...
0 -
cassie, my FIL is 85. Smoke, smoke, smoked those cigarettes for 50 years, drank oceans of alcohol, ate grease and red meat, i mean, all of it. NO CANCER! He only recently developed other issues, amd i sure would not wish this on him, just sayin.....
Just got back from my radiation oncologist. I really liked him, he is gentle and took a long time explaining the process and possible side effects etc. Also I learned from him that my MRI on both breasts does show something in my left breast, but it could be totally benign of course. No one ever mentioned anything goin on in that one! He said that it probably doesn't matter in terms of dx, even if it is. But if there is something there we may have to radiate there as well. Apparently my boobs are just full of lumps. It's coming off anyway so no worries there...somethin tells me its benign, but whatevah.
So I will be getting 25 treatments total, to start after surgery has healed enough.
0 -
I shouldn't be so negative, and I would never wish this on anyone. Glad the meeting with the RO went well, Bippy.
0 -
Look'ee -- my hair's growing back!
0 -
well it looks like I'll have a scheduled c section the week of January 12. That's seven weeks away. I don't know how I'll make it, but every day in is better for the babies. I am just huge right now, bigger than when I deliveredmy last first set of twins. Trying to schedule my lumpectomy soon after the csection. Don't know how close together (I'd love to do them the same day!) but it would be easier to recover from both instead of staggering them. I would be taking a break from taxol during that time, and I don't really want to very much. I may get up to seven taxols completed before delivery, so that would only leave five after surgeries, and then rads. I just wish I had actual dates, and guarantees, you know? Three days after my first taxol, have a slight rash on my arm, but doing okay. Bad constipation, perhaps from the l glutamine? Also feeling very tears and emotional. The cold capping with the frozen mittens and footies was rough all at once. Really kind of semi-torture, I think the booties and mittens were too cold. Also did not like my nurse at all. She phoned it in. Next taxol this wed. It seems so soon.
0 -
Gatomal, such a long time, I don't know what to say....January! They never offered cold caps to me, I never knew until it was too late, but it sounds very uncomfortable to do the icing. Well, being bald is too....hope you get some relief soon.
Slept and lay around for 12 hours yesterday. Think it really helped. Ate only an english muffin, right call as the Big D tortured me relentlessly. My rad doc said that it wil take me a year to fully recover from chemo, rads and surgery. He said it was an assault I am going thru, and boy that sounded right. He is very caring and kind, just what i need right now.
It is way early but so far I feel better today. Coffee is good, no nausea thank god, and slept well. I sure hope my nausea is behind me now.
How are all my chemo gals today? I see my BS at 3pm!
0
