August 2015 Chemo Group
Comments
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Mom2ABoy, don't let me psyche you out - you may not get flattened like I did by #10. Anyway I'm better today so it doesn't last long!
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Finally turned the corner with this round. Day 5 and I am feeling better! I swear it's those damn steroids that screw me up. Yesterday was the first day off them completely and I slept well last night. Woke up today and tummy is better. Yay! Light at the end of the tunnel! Hang in there girls!!!
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Hi all,
thank you for making me feel welcome
KateB79 i will be taking Herceptin once the AC chemo has finished. Are you taking it as well? Ive heard that it doesn't cause hair loss or much side effects? Im not sure though.
Mama-bear the first AC for me was ok with nausea and mostly tiredness. What really got me down was the neulasta, till today a week later I'm still having bad neck pain which has been horrifyingly painful. Before the next one I'm gonna take claritin for sure. I did 12 rounds of taxol before this and I found it more manageable than the AC. Less harsh! Hope its easy on you
Hope everyones doing good! Big hugs
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Oh my, this round has knocked me out! Basically slept for two straight days, and not feeling much better today. I am trying to figure out if the weekly Taxols will keep me down the entire 3 weeks while the Carbo wreaks havoc for 11 days. Will I get to come up for air?
Bunnybumps, are you out there? Worried about you.0 -
Musogirl, (hi from July group - I started my carbo/taxol July 22nd): I am totally wiped out by carboplatin. I get my treatment on Monday and I feel progressively worse throughout the week. But, then about Saturday afternoon I start to feel better and by Sunday I am almost human again. I get the taxol again on Monday and that really doesn't bother me much at all. I hope you will feel better on the taxol weeks (assuming you are doing the every third week thing as I have been). I just finished my last carbo last week, now get two weeks of taxol and then I am very nervous to start AC on the 26th of October. Good luck to you on your next one.
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Thank you Notdoneyet. That is very helpful. I do get Carbo every three weeks so hopefully when those SE wear off I'll feel better--typically start to feel better around day 7.0
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Just checking in. I have been so fortunate with my treatment timing that I was able to enjoy Thanksgiving at my Mom's with at least one of my brothers. My youngest brother and his family have the plague they tell me, and stayed away from Mom's so I could go. How cool is that? As soon as I get there my eldest brother says he's not coming to dinner cause he's started coming down with a cold too, and is worried. I'm like, 'Doode it's not like we're going to be kissing or anything. Come in for dinner'. It was so great, the food tasted awesome, the company was good, the weather was great, and I had a wonderful time. Small blessings in a big world. Next Friday is my fourth of four TC tx. Lots of decisions to be made about rads and hormones after that.
But today I am simply thankful. Thankful for all of you, for the support you all give me, for having the wonderful family that I do, and for hope, beyond all things. There is always hope.
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@Molliefish, what an inspiring post. I needed that.
Having a rough time this week. Treatment was Friday, stayed over with friends that night and ate well, felt fine until Saturday evening and have felt somewhat crummy all day. Queasy and weak. I finally realized part of the problem is likely that I was late for my Leukine shot, which I should have done Saturday night but didn't do until tonight. I wonder if low WBC's contribute to the whole headache/queasy/migraine-y feeling?
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molliefish - what a beautiful post! I often have to step back and remind myself of all the blessings I have in my life. Yes....cancer sucks but it can always be worse.So many friends and family have surrounded me with love and support that I do feel lucky. I don't know where I would be without them.
Many people have told me that I have remained so positive throughout this ordeal. I simply have to be. I cannot dwell on the negative and what might be. Like you said molliefish - there is always hope.....and I have hope and faith that I will get through this and be stronger for it. I will beat cancer and live a long life. I believe!
Today is going to be a great day! I am going to enjoy the fall sunshine. I am going to go for a run which makes my body and mind stronger. And I am going to kick cancer's arse today. No place for it in my body!!!
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Ok that little rant just made me feel so much better!!!!
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Rant away Suzanne! Your posts have been so helpful to me!
Octogirl
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@Suzanne50 right on! Thanks for the reminder to exercise, too.
I do believe my low WBC was partly responsible for my feeling crummy/low mood yesterday. Good to remember in case I get lazy about doing my Leukine shot again - I'll make myself do it to avoid that. Also, I got lots of sleep last night, and early, which is making me feel lots better.
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molliefish, that's inspiring. Thank you. I was feeling a little down today (even though it's supposed to be a good week), and that brightened things for me.
lauragirl, yeah, I'm told that Herceptin causes very few SEs. The big one is a runny nose, which I'm used to by now.
carboplatin: it and dexamethasone are the bane of my existence. I'm pretty sure I'm repeating myself, though. I'm going to ask my MO to reduce the carbo this round. The nadir is much later and affects red blood cells, which means that I get bone pain and anemia during what should be a good week. Damn it all. It sounds like so many of us are having more SEs as we progress through treatment. . . Here's the thing, though: we can do it. We really can. And, like so many of us, I'm just grateful that you ladies are here.
This weekend did not go according to plan. We were really looking forward to going to our local Oktoberfest (beer! German food! friends who make us laugh!), and the weather was PERFECT, but then one of our two beagles ended up with hemorrhagic gastroenteritis and has been in the hospital since Saturday night. I was there for four hours on Saturday. . . by the time I got home, it was almost 9pm! We felt so bad for our other doofus, who was confused and kept looking for his best friend, that we stayed home. Yesterday we went to see the girl in the hospital and she was doing much, much better. The vet called this morning and said she's even better today, so I'm going to pick her up when my teaching day is done. What drama!
Everything seems to happen at once, doesn't it? Prior to cancer, I was dealing with the fact that my dad, who has always been my biggest cheerleader, has progressively-worsening Parkinson's (and accompanying cognitive impairment). My mom, with whom I have a great relationship, is his primary caregiver, and she's also trying to help my autistic uncle not run out of money (it's a really, really long story). I thought that was bad. Then I got the cancer diagnosis. My mother-in-law is being overly dramatic about everything, which has pushed my partner to the brink. . . . And now the poor sick doggie and accompanying $2000 vet bill. I'd planned on looking for a higher-paying job this year, but that's not in the cards, methinks.
Sigh. I'm just happy that we live close to one of the best veterinary hospitals in the Midwest and that our girl is making a full recovery. I'm also glad that I have a good therapist.
I know I'm rambling, so I'll leave you with this haiku for hot flashes:
hot flashes all night / hot, sweat, cold and hot, sweat, cold / will I sleep again?
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Kate - sending strong vibes... that is some plateful!
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Treatment #3 is in the books for me, and I had a pretty difficult recovery with this one. I could barely get out of bed for a few days. My muscles in my legs feel really weak and I'm not sure if there is anything I can do or take to help with it. Does anyone else get really heavy and tired legs? I huff and puff after carrying laundry downstairs.
A couple of weeks ago I was at my son's baseball game wearing my wig that I am uncomfortable and very insecure in. I have weird random thoughts sometimes, so before the game I thought "What if I get hit in the head with a random baseball, get knocked out and am laying there with my wig off and my bald head for all to see?" I know I have bigger things to care about, but the visual made me and my older son laugh so we decided to put our chairs farther out in the grass behind home plate than we usually do, just to be safe. Wouldn't you know it, a foul ball was hit straight into the air and came down like a missile right for my head. Everyone was yelling, "Watch out!" I casually stood up and caught that sucker. No knocking my wig off today, thank you very much.
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SoCalGrl Thanks for the laugh! I like the visual of the wig on the ground. LOL!! My work is moving house & we need to take picture for the security pass... So I guess I have to try my wig -- it was a gift, & there's ALOT of hair compare to the thin fine hair that I had; and with the S. Cal heat, I haven't even tried it on. But I don't suppose I can wear the skull cap or hat for the picture....
Speaking of the heavy legs, that exactly how I felt after round 3. & it seems to get worse after #4. Today is day 15 after last round & food still taste chalky this time.
I had a CT scan last Thur. When they put in the picc mid Aug, they had to do a x-ray, which they said there's shadow or something, so I had to do another one 2 wks ago with the same, so my MO order a CT. When I was in the ER 2 Fridays ago, they also did the x-ray with the same result and ER Dr said that one of the lobe might had collapsed in the past, did I know that? And he asked which side I had the surgery. So yeah waiting for CT result.
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There's a book to be written on cancer humour - some of you guys could each do a chapter...
NB I have had so many minor abnormalities on tests that turn out to be nothing. Fingers x'd for you superius
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superius, I'm with you in a weird way. I finally looked at all my post-surgery (July) paperwork, and found that the radiologist discovered what is "consistent with a calcified granuloma" on my chest X-ray. Sigh. I'm not too concerned, given that it's tiny, I live in the Midwest, and bunches of people have them, but it's still just one more thing. Gonna ask the doc about it on Thursday before my next infusion. Sending you good vibes.
Cancer humor! Yes! Let's start the book now. After the year I've had, I could use a good laugh--or several.
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@Kate my Mom breeds chocolate labs and there is always a dog in the house or around. We've (well she did, we ate at her house) missed two Christmas dinners because puppies decided to be born on Christmas by C-section. Puppies are people too! Glad your other girl is feeling better. Beer and Sausage are highly over rated anyway! ( I know they're not but I'm trying to help here
)@ SoCalGrl I have the heavy leg thing going on too, and this time, I have sore achy arms to go with them. When I do anything physical I feel like I've just completed a really good high weight work out. We went for the last swim of the season today (a now 10 year tradition at our house), and I really was feeling worn out swimming in the pool. Can't wait to be done with this stuff.
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Yay, I'm done with chemo! I'll take a few weeks to heal, and then I'm on to the winter rads group. A big thank you to all of you who helped me get through my side effects! Like molliefish, I, too, am thankful for all your support.
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Well I am pretty mad at Cancer right now..... I have been feeling not well for a few days. Saturday I felt lousy, Sunday laid low because I was feeling crappy. Woke up today with a fever and decided to come to the hospital. Yeah well my neutrophils are almost non-existent. So they have admitted me. Dr says I'll be here for 5-7days on IV antibiotics. So I had to cancel my trip to Vancouver to see Madonna. Yup instead of my getaway I will be sitting here in the hospital waiting for my bone marrow to cooperate. I am day 12 post chemo and should be well over my Neutropenia. I had to miss out Thanksgiving dinner. So I am trying to be thankful, but am feeling pretty sorry for myself right now. I was so looking forward to getting away. I am glad I did come and get checked out as flying would have been awful. I'd rather be stuck in the hospital here than in Vancouver. There will be more concerts.....so I tell myself. Cancer You Suck0
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I truly am sad for you Dee. And I'd pretty damned angry at cancer too.0 -
Do you have to let your oncologist of doctor that you are sick? I have had a sore throat all day today and now a painful cough and a headache. I do not and have not had a fever though. So am I supposed to notify them or only if its a fever? I am 7 days past infusion so is it possible to just get over it on my own?
I have avoided everyone sick for weeks but my husband was sick, then my daughter and now it looks like its got me. Plus I get to my moms for regular visit and my neices and nephews are there harfing up their lungs and my mom says oh I been throwing up all day... WTF? do you not understand that I cannot be sick?????????? I left but now 3 days later I have a bad throat and cough. TIA for any info. I really don't want to end up in the hospital.
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YAY Sloan! So glad you are done!!!! I will meet you over in Rad group in Nov. I start November 4th.
@Deeratz - I am so sorry you are going through all this. You are right....cancer sucks! And at times it seems so unfair that this all has to happen to us. Nothing I can say will make it better but know that you have lots of friends in your corner here wishing you well. Pretty soon this will be behind you and life will be normal again. So keep the faith and hang in there. I wish I had that magic wand and could make it all go away!
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Thanks for the kind words. I know I am where I need to be to get better. I just wish I still wasn't in emerg waiting for a bed upstairs.
I am thankful for a few things. The fuzzy blanket and my own pillow my daughter and husband brought up for me. I am also thankful for the earplugs and Ativan I took before bed. I did get some sleep. This may be a long week.
The protocol for coming to the hospital is a fever >38(1004). I think you are ok with just a sore throat. I have stayed away from everyone and still got sick.
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I agree with Dee, I called my nurse manager when I got a cold and she said as long as there is no fever, stay home, rest and plenty of fluids.
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@ Dee curl up under that blankie and feel better,
@ Sloan, congratulations and happy 'break time' before your rads.
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Aw, DeeRatz, I'm so, so sorry! Maybe you can get a live stream of the show? When I had to miss the Pitchfork Festival (thanks, surgery), I was able to stream it, and it made me feel a little better. . . .
Again: I'm so sorry. Sending you big hugs and giving cancer the finger for you.
sloan50, that's awesome! Congrats!
goosebery, I had the same thing last week, plus a painful and swollen lymph node in my neck. I called, and they said to check my temp every 8 hours or so (more frequently if I felt feverish). I never got a fever, but the nurses called to check on me every day. . . . It finally cleared up on its own last Friday. I think it was a cold--I haven't had one of those in years! If your temp goes above 100.4, get thee to the ER. Other than that, stay hydrated and rest, rest, rest.
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Sloan - How is your neuropathy going? Any better?
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