Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!
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I would surely wear a wig for my drivers license photo too even though I haven't worn one a single day of treatment. I don't care for any extra reminders down the road of this experience and definitely not every time I have to use my ID
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Got neulasta today. My bff RN Tammy asked me if I wanted a sandwich to go. I was there at 3:00 so wasn't expecting an offer for lunch. Sure! Well it's not just a sandwich they give you but mini meal. Along with it was lots of nummy veggies on the side, fruit cup and a cookie for dessert. They do nutrition here. So dinner is set!
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Because for a week amd a half it has been getting uncomfortable for me to breathe, I ended up in the ER for 8 hours Weds. Hurry up and wait; I felt so scared I broke down and cried a couple times. Like when they had just wheeled me back to the ER from the lung CT with contrast then wheeled me right back for a repeat, because the techs had gotten the settings wrong. I guess I should be joyful that there were no sogns of blood clots or lung damage from the chemo, and no signs of cancer --- and I am glad --- but I am also pretty much at the end of what I can take. They found no explanation for why it feels like so much work to breathe, or my dry cough; I guess this is my "new normal"
I have to meet with my MO Thurs morning, but I am going to delay my chemo one day to Friday ---- at least the on-call oncologist said I could do that. I didn't get home until 10 PM Weds, and I woke up now 5:20 AM, just not up to chemo today, I want to stay at home and sleep (after the morning doc appointment).
My dog Misty was so excited to see me when I got home that she did a little dance
Hoping everybody has a better day than yesterday.
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Rest well, Tessu! I hope you have a much better day today
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I had round 4 of 6 today. Definitely more tired than I have typically been on infusion days. Rounds 2 and 3 I went out the same night. Now I am looking forward to putting my last kid down so I can relax and try to sleep.
MO ordered a second MUGA scan for me. Yay for more scans...
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tessu, I'm so sorry! That would would scare me so much on a good day, much less after the repeated break down of chemo. Big, big hugs!
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tessu, now you are chemo buddies with el tigre and I. Prayers for a smooth and easy experience this week for you, ladies.
Skittle, what is a MUGA?
Grey, how are you doing?
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MUGA measures heart function. One of my drugs can affect the heart, so they took measurements before starting chemo. Luckily there's no crazy diet like the PET scan.
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Anyone else concerned about Adriamycin? I know you all are done with it, but found this on the stage IV board.
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/31/1357342...
Increases chance of heart failure by 20%. Ikes. It was previously believed to be 3-5%. Makes me not want to do #4 of 4 now.
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Met with my MO today and yes, I can defer chemo until tomorrow (Friday). Although I was exhausted when I got home from the ER, I slept restlessly and only four hours
Had to get another blood test today to make sure the two doses of CT contrast media didn't do anything to my kidneys, but expect it to be ok because I drank more than enough water afterwards.I feel like a little kid on Christmas having today free with no chemo! Sometimes it's the little things that are the most important. Planning to nap, play with my dog,and watch a tv show I missed because of the ER visit.
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For all of you: thank you
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http://news.cancerconnect.com/cardiac-toxicity/
Chance of heart problems from adriamycin is relative to the dosage. Were you not given the SE disclosure when they decided your chemo plan? I thought that was standard. Dosage is precisely calculated to each individual patient so percentages for SE are different for each person depending on circumstances. Every cancer is unique. Every patient is unique. Every treatment is unique. It's amazing what they can do to save us now. I'm constantly stunned at how they've increased survival rates just in my lifetime.
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tessu feel better.
Arista like Annie said I hope you were given enough info about adriamycin effects from your mo before you started. I had tons of info from my mo and did lots of research online. Plus like many of us my mo had me do an echo before. I like you was scared to do the dose but the benefit of hitting my aggressive cancer with the strongest drugs was important. I can tell you have the same outlook. My echo showed mild mitral valve regurgitation and my dad has cardiac disease (he had open heart 6yrs ago).
please don't worry about your last dose & don't second guess. You got this
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I was aware of the risk of heart attack. I had an echo prior to treatment. I had an EKG in the middle of treatment. And I'm scheduled for a follow-up echo shortly. For me, the risk of the cancer coming back is much greater than the risk that I'll have a heart attack. I will also be monitored for heart function for I think 8 years after completion of chemo. In addition, heart disease does not run in my family, I have low cholesterol, and I'm on the low end of the BMI. Other than that, I think the rest is up to God. Good luck with your decision. Chemo is nasty, no doubt about it, but my chance of recurrence is so high, I'm going to throw every single thing at it!
Tessu, we love you and we are here to support you!
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I had an echo prior to treatment and will have another shortly. I could have had one in the middle of treatment due to my family history but really that would not change my plan. Cancer first heart later.
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hey ladies I'm just wondering about those who haven't checked in recently or last month. If you are reading this how are you all? I know a few of us have finished and moved onto rads (and I hope will continue to post here), and a lot of us finish this month, but I worry about those that have dropped offline. Please let us know how you are doing.
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Tessu - Hope your "day off" was rejuvenating and that you are transitioning to a lovely evening! Cancer treatment is definitely a job and it feels like the hardest kind of work we can do.
I too had an echocardiogram before starting treatment. I had no issues and haven't looked back. The five-year prognosis for my specific profile isn't great, so I'm just looking for a few extra years. Expect I'll die with my boots on and heart intact. ; )
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Yes, my mo told me and had me do an echo before hand. My parents and fam that I know of don't suffer from heart disease although grandfather on dad's side died of a heart attack way back when. I just saw 20% and freaked. I'm not thin and don't exercise so that alone puts me at risk for heart disease.
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Good Morning,
I have a question. Has anyone experienced "flushing" on the cheeks AFTER chemo? I get it before due to the steroids but this time I am very red on just my right cheek after the treatment. Also have a red patch near where the IV was. This is a week out. any experience with this appreciated.
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Yes, taxotere makes me flush for several days.
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Taxotere is the one with big flushing SE. It's sort of an allergy thing. Tell your nurse next time. They can dilute it and put it in slower. It eases some of that sometimes.
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Hi Everyone, just checking in...I'm 36 days PFC. Just got the go signal to start Tamoxifen. I think I'll start Monday. I feel somewhat OK..just getting over a nasty cold and an old foot injury resurfaced. So, I haven't really done anything strenuous. I would really like to get back into working out.
Hoping for minimal SEs for those of you still going through treatment.
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Checking in. Two week since final chemo. Feeling good finally. Still have weird mouth taste and chemo brain. Met with surgeon today to review my MRI from yesterday and discuss my surgery options. Tumor had a bit of shrinkage, not much, and is less "angry." I had to laugh when she said that. Thankfully nothing new was found and we are on track for surgery on December 21st. Now I have to decide on lumpectomy, which will likely leave a large crater in my boob and reconstruction isn't really an option insurance-wise, or a mastectomy with reconstruction and a reduction which is covered by insurance. I am meeting with a plastic surgeon on Monday to discuss the mastectomy further. I've always been rather large up top, so I'm really leaning towards the mastectomy for the reduction part. Plus it could mean no radiation as well. Decisions, decisions. I'm very grateful to be given the choice though.
I'm seeing a light at the end of this tunnel.
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4 out of 12 Paclitaxol infusions complete! Feeling pretty good today. Skipped the prune juice and milk of magnesia this time... a tad concerned with how solid things are, may need to pick that up again to keep the fissure healing. But my stomach is definitely less unsettled 36 hours late. Energy is higher.
My hematocrit came back at 29! Another 2 points higher than last time. Transfusion (<25) is looking less and less likely as we go. Eat your cooked green veggies, ladies!
On the 8th day of Chemo, my MO gave to me...
Light Neuropathy
7 bags of saline
6 hats - all itchy!
DI-A-RRHEAAAAAA!
4 Nausea Meds
3 Shots A
2 ER Trips
And more Taxol with some steroids!0 -
Hi Katie!
Where is your tumor located? Mine was in the upper outer quadrant, which is a very forgiving location. The surgeon didn't even leave hardly a divit as he could recruit tissue from around the back or under the armpit to fill in the gap. The plastic surgeon thought we might have to do fat injections to re-inflate me a little when I consulted before the surgery. Post-surgery, I don't think anything needs to be done. I could send pictures if you're interested (My tumor was 4.5 cm too, so we were all shocked by how well it turned out.)
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Saw my RO for initial appt yesterday - he is a very highly regarded RO and only deals with breast cancer.
He explained it all to me and now it makes sense. The chemo is to kill any stray cells in the blood that would affect the major organs - which is exactly what my MO said. The reason to do rads is because some of the tumor cells could have flaked off and still be in the tissue surrounding where they did the lumpectomy. These would not be gotten by chemo because they are not in the blood. I asked if I had a BMX would that change and he said no. With any lymph node involvement he'd recommend rads.
He took an hour with us and was thorough and patient. He uses the most high tech equipment and writes a program to individualize the rads and they are programmed to not go near the heart or lung. So, it seems to make sense and he explained how it raises the survival rate a certain percentage and I want the highest percentage for sure. Because there is lymph node involvement I am only a candidate for whole breast radiation because he wants to be sure to clean it up as much as possible.
So - CAT scan on Jan 4 and I start soon after that. Many of us will have Jamaican sunburns! Tahiti her we come!
BTW - no Neulasta shot after Taxol #2 and so far so good. Seems that blew the WBC and platelet count thru the roof and probably was the cause of my difficulties last round. Fingers crossed.
The SE that is really getting me down is no taste buds - everything tastes like moldy cardboard! Anyone else have that from Taxol? I'm not really hungry but I can hardly eat anything because it tastes so bad! 😥
Hoping for good weekend ahead and energy for all!
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Sailorgirl, so glad to hear that your RO appointment went well! I have no taste buds on Taxol right now, although they did rebound for round 1. My tongue and lips are numb. It's like I've been sucking on a sore throat lozenge. My husband and I went to a Cuban place for lunch today. He said it was good. All I know is that I wasn't hungry when I was done eating. Food doesn't taste like moldy cardboard to me. It doesn't taste like anything.
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DLcygnet,
Mine is 2.1 cm. Surgeon seemed to think it would leave a crater. Tumor is at the 10:00 position, right breast. I wonder if it has to do with how deep in the breast the tumor is? Hmmmmm...
I'm so torn. I've always wanted a breast reduction and I have the opportunity in front of me... I'll see what plastic surgeon says and go from there. If they can save the skin and nipple and do immediate reconstruction it seems like a good idea. If I have to wait 6 months for reconstruction, it seems like a not so good idea.
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Katie
It is a hard decision. I just want to prepare you that unless you have smaller breasts its tough to save the nipple. It has something to do with blood flow. angelina Jolie actually had two surgeries. In the first one they cut half the blood supply to her nipple then let her recover and build new vessels. Then she went in and had a nipple sparing mastectomy. I haven't read of any women here on the board being offered this option.
I had larger breasts and found a breast surgeon who specialized in nipple reconstruction. Sometimes They have to take skin from your abdomen or between your legs to form the aerola and then form a nipple. Some women choose to jus the nipple and or the aerola 3D tattoo. Its a matter of surgeon and patient preference. Also just to prepare you the nipple always stands up. Also you have very little feeling in the breast and none in the nipple area.
There are actually other reconstruction options other than implants. some women have fat sucked from other places of the body and injected in the breast. You really have to find a surgeon that has done a lot of whatever you want. Ask for pictures and referrals.
Another thing is are you sure they can't just put some fat in the lumpectomy site? Can you call your insurance and verify that? it seems to me with your situation that would be a win win win. Or could you do the lumpectomy and if you really don't like how it looks consider a mastectomy later? Would your insurance cover that?
I had Gene stuff going on and my breast couldn't be saved so I opted for a BMX but I miss my breasts. When you have a total Mastectomy with reconstruction it isn't a hollywood boob job. You might want to go read a bit in the forums so you know more going into the plastic surgeon meeting. It helps to get over the initial shock and be ready with questions.
also not to scare anyone here but if you have TE where they put in expanders and do radiation the failure rate is 50%. Another option is to just have the mastectomy and be a uniboob until your skin recovers and then have reconstruction.
Be picky and advocate for yourself.
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Thanks for the info! Very helpful.
I'll keep you posted on what plastic surgeon says. 0
