Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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Yep. I have had the Neunasty every time. Never had a low count until now.
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It seems like everyone is told different things by oncologists. I was told that AC&T can do heart damage...me having high blood pressure, some family members having heart attacks...I questioned AC&T. I was given two choices by my MO. He would not tell me which to choose, didn't have a nurse navigator that I could talk too, so did a lot of research. My Cardiologist told me that AC&T can do heart damage and it might not be right then, could be down the road and it is not reversible in most cases. I was also told that there are many cases that happen way later that are not documented. I ended up choosing TC and I still worry every day about my decision and if I chose AC&T I would have worried every day about heart problems during treatment and afterwards. MO said that they do echo at beginning and end of treatment, nothing in between. That helped me chose TC... I was also told that if I lived on the West Coast TC would be the recommended treatment as they are not using A so much... any west coast people not getting A??? Any truth to that statement? I completed TC treatment in Feb and had no scans... no scans prior either. Only thing I get is blood work which DOES NOT include tumor markers either. I am taking Letrozole for the past 8 months, bone density showed -2.5 in spine area which is osteoporosis so now I am on ACTONEL which is causing diarrhea for a few days after I take it and I notice a pressure feeling in my osteoporosis area that I never felt before. PLus i have thumb pain...trigger finger?? which they say can come from the letrozole. I feel like I am just going day by day.... worrying each day... does the worry subside at all? If so when? I am one year out from MX
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I'm on AC now and then taxotere which from what I gathered is stronger than taxol. I live in CA. I think in part choosing the right chemo for you is a best guess. That's what my MO says. Sure there are guidelines for use this and this for this, but ultimately, it is a best guess and you just hope you have a great onc who made a great choice for you. Unfortunately there's no way to tell if chemo worked or not. The proof is if you don't have recurrence. Or in my case, if the nodule in my lung is now gone after chemo then it did work, but then that puts me automatically as stage IV. There really is no final result in this is there..
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Heart effects from A are really rare and more common in older women (I'm 35). That said, no way would I have done it if I had a pre-existing condition or family history of heart trouble. I had an EKG before the 3rd treatment and it was good. For my cancer, I was told the hardest "hit" was a bilateral, 20 weeks of ACT, 6-8 weeks of radiation, an ooph and 10 years or aromitase inhibitors and I'm going to participate in a clinical trial on Everolimus. But we are all in different places, it's impossible to compare, really.
Sorry you are so anxious!!! I did have a PET scan before chemo. All clear, but that just means no tumor, it doesn't mean no cells remaining to metasticize. I also had extranodal extension from my lymph nodes so I know the cancer was on the move. Naturally, I worry. Being BRCA2, it's always the monkey on my back. But I refuse to let cancer steal my joy. If it comes back then I've wasted all my good days as well as my last days to cancer and if it never comes back then I just wasted a lot of time.
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Grey - Thinking about you - strong, good thoughts (and virtual hugs) going eastward to you and your dog.
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Thanks for the responses. Cajunqueen15 you seem to have similar dx as I do..only I am 59. I did the oophh as well even though I have gone through menopause.. I had a cyst on the ovary so I was not taking any chances. I also had extranodal extension. I guess its just a wait and see and hope and pray!! Good luck to you with your treatments...you too Arista928!
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speaking of... Who else is participating in a clinical trial? I have a 50/50 shot of getting Everolimus or a placebo along with My aromitase inhibitor.
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Cajunqueen15...what is this clinical trial for?
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Everolimus is currently being used for metastatic patients. They are testing it to see if it improves survival and NED rates on early stage ER+/HER2- patients who are taking tamoxifen or an AI. It's a double-blind study so I won't know if I'm getting the drug or placebo. I am big against animal testing and always said I would volunteer if given the chance. Putting my money where my mouth is!
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Here's info that came up on my fb regarding home remedies for vomitting. Can't hurt to try especially if pills aren't working. I know the ginger tea they gave me at chemo calmed me down for awhile..
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Anyone else develop lymphedema pre-surgery? (?!?!) What the actual heck?
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I didn't know that was possible. I thought it was a SE of removed nodes?
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Annie - I know, right? But I think I developed it in my right hand overnight Fri-Sat. It went away mid-day yesterday, but came back with a vengeance.
I'm doing the recommended exercises for lymphedema in hand/wrist and they are already reducing the swelling and pain. I have my 1st Taxol infusion Tuesday, so I'll ask my PA about it. They have been checking me for swelling at every exam, so it must be a pre-surgery risk some way-some how. (I'm not a doc, so obviously there may be another cause. But it sure feels / appears to be lymphedema.)
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Do you know if you have cancer in your nodes?
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i don't know anything about taxol but swelling was a SE of taxotere that's why they give you extra steroids
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Annie - I had an MRI in August that showed no cancer in second breast or lymph nodes. Info on this site does not mention lymphedema as an SE of anything but surgery, radiation or steroids. (I haven't had steroids for 10 days.) So, yes, this is mysterious!
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Well I hope it gets better.
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Good morning everyone. I'm gearing up for round 4 of 6 tomorrow. Trying to force myself to take my first dose of steroids. I hate how they make me feel!
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I actually attended a lymphedema class offered for free at the women's center I go to, instructed by a specialist. Only people that have nodes taken out are the ones who can develop it. Hence the name. There most likely is something else going on. I know when they poked my right are to death before I got my picc line for infection, I swore I got it in my right arm since I had a mx on the right side too. Well no lymph nodes taken out there with it's mx so they said no way. It was simply edema, swelling from all the poking they did causing major fluid build up. Took 3 weeks for it to completely subside.
Do you have a lymphedema specialist/therapist in your circle of providers? Get your MO to refer you to one so you can be positive, but from what I learned in that class, it isn't possible.
Good luck my friend. xo
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Annie and Artista - Thanks for the support and advice, I appreciate it. I'm lucky enough to be treated at an accredited breast cancer center, so I trust they have staff who can coach me through whatever-it-is. Certainly sounds like it must be edema, not lymphedema.
Meanwhile, my response to cancer today:
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Southern, I guess it's time to send you another box of Depends! Love the memes!
Has anyone had an infection at the site of hair that is falling out (not my head)? I feel as though I've taken enough antibiotics for a small army, yuck.
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I've had several ingrown hairs. Neosporin took care of it.
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Southern all you need to do is scream at people "get off my lawn!"
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your fluff is longer than mine
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7 days... I hope!
uh oh. A suspicious red lump has appeared where an internal suture from my msx had popped through the skin. But no fever. Please no ER, please no ER, please no ER.
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No ER unless more develops today, but tell your doc about it tomorrow..
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These Memes had me laughing so hard. My husband keeps looking at me but there is no way he would understand our inside humor.
Annie you outdid yourself with that one.
Southern how in the world is your hair still growing. I am bald (maybe a 1/8 inch of fuzz) and I have very few eyelashes and my eyebrows are pretty thin right now. My eyes water and its like I am crying because my eyelashes won't stop it.
Cajun: Crap that sucks that this is showing up on a friday. Do you have an oncall MO that you can patch through? I have had to do that before.
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argh... Calling now. Really just want to ignore it until tomorrow. Damn you, neutrophils!
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