Starting Chemo April 2016
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Numb you look great!
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LimnoGal she gave me a kind of nail laquer, I dont know if the sell it in the US but maybe you can find it online, the brand is called ISDIN (its from spain) and the product is Betalfatrus (funny name I know).
I put it on every day, it dries in seconds and so far my nails are great, I have been using it since i started.
Hope you can find it and it helps!
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I haven't seen any difference in my brows and lashes yet. I do have the world's skimpiest lashes so I'm not even sure I'll notice the difference with them! I too was wondering if they would hang in there until I started the Taxol rounds.
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Thanks you all for the nice comments on my hair. I had my 3rd AC today and nearly didn't get it as they tried 6 times to find a vein, then found one and started the chemo but had to stop as the vein flared up. So I was being sent home without getting it, I was disappointed but said a prayer to St. Anthony and another nurse said she would give it a final go and she said this is my last chance to get the chemo today, but she got a vein after 2 atttempts and it worked perfectly, but I was there from 7.00 a.m. until 1.00 p.m. Last time I was out at 10.00 a.m.
So before the next infusion I will be admitted to hospital to get a port. Didn't really want a port but I have no choice now as I couldn't face all that again. Feeling nauseous now, while the Emend is good it doesn't fully cut it for me. I have to wait until 6.00 p.m, another hour, before I take Zofran, cant wait. I am sipping water the whole time. Not able to post anything else.
Hope you all have a good weekend.
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All I have to say today ladies is STUPID CANCER! I hate the way it messes everything up! Just one of those days today, I feel like ranting and raving and possibly breaking something! At the end of it all I just burstinto tears !
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Heathet- we all understand, because we have ALL been there. Hang in there, it will get better (maybe not good yet, but definitely better).
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Waiting for my first Neulasta robot to go off around 3pm. Does anyone else feel like it's a ticking time bomb? I've avoided most side effects and it's the other shoe waiting to drop feeling that's getting to me now.
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KQHill-the neulasta pump starting is a complete nothing compared to when the cannula is inserted. Even after having three of them, I still jump (literally) when the cannula inserts. The chemo nurses get a good laugh every time, as does my daughter.
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The side effects of the Neulasta is what worries me! My husband is diabetic with a pump and CGMS so I'm used to the needle/cannula difference. I'm feeling kind of guilty and naive for thinking maybe it won't get any worse than this. At least for THIS round!
It's done pumping so I guess I'll find out soon
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Hey all - haven't posted or lurked in quite some time. Many of your posts are so spot-on. Feelings of anger, anxiety, depression...oy! I'm 8 days past my 2nd AC treatment and I'm just now starting to mentally feel like myself. This one was rough. I'm still struggling physically - my hemoglobin dropped significantly between my 1st and 2nd treatments due to an unusually heavy period, so now my iron treatments have been doubled in frequency. If my hemo doesn't increase significantly at the next check (next Thursday) I may have to have a blood transfusion.
"Coffee, yogurt and crying" is a phrase written in my journal a few days back. I hate cancer, and even though it's for the good, I hate what chemo is doing to me.
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Hi Numb! I started my first round of chemo on April 27th. I just finished my second round on May 18th. When all of a sudden my period started. I am estrogen positive, stage IIA on TC x 4 treatments. I'm almost half way through now...and this period hiccup started. I feel weaker than normal this time, but plan to power through. We are in this together!
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DESIWYATT 123 - Welcome to the forum, better late than never. Have no experience of periods during chemo as I will be 66 in 3 weeks, but there are lots of younger members discussing this issue at the moment. I had weaker days on my second round but then I came out of them better than the first round. I did my 3rd round yesterday and while feeling slightly nauseous and a bit flushed I am all set to get over this round too. Probably the worst days are the week after chemo and then things start to improve.
4HYMN - we all hate this cancer and what chemo is doing to us. Can't believe that 2016 will be fully taken up with all this crap. Who ever thought we would be in this boat. I found some days on round 2 were worse than round 1 but I had more good days than round 1, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am facing injecting myself with Neulasta shot today, not a pleasant thought, but it has to be done.
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I think eyebrows and lashes just fall out on their regular schedule (3 months), but the new ones don't grow back in.
Does anyone else have any trouble getting enough salt in their diet? I'm drinking so much water that I need a lot of extra salt too. Pretzels and potato chips don't taste very good right now. My best bets have been prosciutto and smoked salmon, but I was wondering what other strategies there are. - thanks.
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bagger- I was wondering why I have been craving salt! I have been drinking so much water that I guess my body was telling me that I also needed salt. It may sound weird but a lot of people in my family put salt on fruit. I have started eating watermelon, cantalope and green apples with salt on them. It is delicious!
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Numb : sorry you had difficulty with the viens, you will however find that the port is really very helpful after it is in, no pushing and prodding and I am grateful I have a port. It did take a week or so for it to settle for me , although some people have had no issues. Good luck on 3rd cycle, I find I am just more sleepy,
Bagger: I do hope the eyebrows and lashes come back ,I thought Tax had a bigger impact than Ac on finer hair and since I am on 3 of 4 cycle of Thp was hoping to get by. Optimistic though by the sounds of it, I am trying to latisste. Lets see what Ac does. Someone I know lost all eyebrows 15 days after chemo so 4 months.
Agree on the salt I have a craving for salted cashew. keep trying to increase water intake.
Heathet every cycle I also have a few days of anger and irritation and then one picks oneself up. As Numb said none of us thought we would be dealing with cancer taking up most of 2016. In my case I was helping an aunt with her cancer journey in 2015 ( discovered stage 4) she passed away on Christmas. I did not realise 2016 would be my journey through the same disease, though thankfully at an earlier stage.
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POSITIVEPOWER11 - thanks for your sympathy. I was just wondering what exactly is involved in getting a port. What sort of an operation is it? I was told I would be admitted to hospital the night before the next chemo round, get an implanted port in the next morning and then go straight down to get the chemo, all the same morning ? Does that sound weird to you ? I will have a local anaesthetic and also be sedated, but I will be awake, what sort of sedation allows you to be awake ?
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Numb - I've heard of similar things. The port site will be sore and you might feel like you have a massive crick in your neck. I had trouble turning my head to the left (the port is in a vein on the left). The sedation is probably what's called a "twilight sleep". Meaning that you will be awake enough to react to commands, but you will likely not remember a bloody thing.
I don't know why they have to overnight you, as mine was outpatient surgery, but hey whatever works. Hope it works out well for you. I'm glad I have my port and I will be happier to be "Deported". PostiveP - I'm done with 4 rounds of AC and I have eyelashes, eyebrows, and even the hair on my arms. The stuff on my legs is still growing but slowly. I had to shave them the other day. Wasn't expecting that. I expect all of that will go with Taxol. Oh well.
Bagger - Salt - YES! I'm not craving it as much as everything tastes so bland, so I keep adding it.
Does anyone else find that even during a good day, you have times where your stomach is not happy? I had some eggs and avocado for breakfast and it was fine, but then I got up to put dinner in the crock pot and that required a bit of work and walking around. Now I feel sick to the stomach. I'm 10 days out from my last chemo.
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CJSHARMA - is the port sore for long after you get it and is the sedation like what you would get with a scope or a colonoscopy? I would not mind that kind of sedation as I never remember anything after it. I think they are over nighting me because my chemo appointment is for 7.30 a.m. and they want me to get the port that morning so I suppose it will be done before 7.30 a.m. and they might think that it would be too early for me to be travelling for 50 miles to get to the hospital for say 5.30 a.m. I don't know really. I would prefer to get the port a few days before the chemo session, but you always end up fitting in with their plans, don't you.
I drank oodles of water all day today and I feel grand now. I was a bit nauseous yesterday but today I am good except for all around my eyes feels very tired and my face feels flushed but I can cope with that. I asked for my Dexamethasone to be tapered off for this session and I got a new prescription for that. I will have 8mg for 3 days and then 6mg for the 4th day, 4 mg for the 5th day, and 2 mg for the 6th and 7th days, then stop. I normally get the crash on day 4 and 5 after the chemo session when I stop the steroids. I am hoping that this will make the crash easier. Previously I was stopping at 8 mg, but this new prescription allows me to stop at 2mg. So hopefully this will lighten the crash. It will be interesting to see if it does.
From time to time my stomach acts up Christine. It was brutal ten days ago, and I was passing everything I ate, then it settled down a bit but I am expecting that again later on next week.
I thought that the hair started to grow back again when on Taxol ? When are you starting the Taxol ?
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Numb - I guess I'll find out! I start Taxol this coming Thursday. I also have a mammogram Monday and then a long talk with the doc about the results, what they mean, and what my next steps after chemo are. And I think you're exactly right - it's the "twilight sleep" like for a colonscopy. I had that done for wisdom teeth removal and remembered nothing. I just realized that I was light on water yesterday which probably why my stomach is acting up today. My evening plans got cancelled. I really do want to give my house a good scrub. But we'll see how that goes.
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Numb: Ive not had a colonoscopy, but the twilight sleep was not too bad, as CJ mentioned you don't remember anything or feel any pain during the procedure. My procedure was as an outpatient and a week before chemo. I do know that some people do get it on the day of chemo or a day before. I wish they gave you an option as you can deal with the pain etc before chemo.
The entire procedure was an hour or so ,an hour and a half of pre medical checks before and 30- 45 minutes in observation room after then I went home. I did have pain after the effect of the meds wears off as they had to go in a bit deeper than they do in most folks ( something about my viens). I had some nagging pain for a week or so and had to be careful to sleep on the back. However, on Chemo day I don't feel a thing as they give you some numbing cream and access the port with a minor prick.
I am on 4 mg Demaxa the day before chemo, twice a day, same dosage for 2 days after and on the third day just a morning dose. My crash is on Day 3/4 evening.
CJ some people keep eyebrows and lashes throughout the chemo and loose them after or just thining so wait and see. Stomach is ok but just don't feel like eating on some days. Also am on dose dense Taxotere , am having silica tablets and black seed oil tablets for hair and nails.
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So does this "twilight sleep" mean you are not aware of what is going on while you get your port?
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Numb- I had my port put in the same day that I had my first chemo. They gave me fentanyl and a local anesthetic where they were inserting the port. I'm fairly resistant to fentanyl (not a good thing), but at most, I felt some pulling and tugging. It didn't hurt, but I did notice it. After a third hit of fentanyl, all was good. I was taken from the port placement right down to chemo. It was entirely doable, and the port is definitely more comfortable than using your veins for chemo.
As others have said, you might have some tenderness around the port area, and a tugging sensation when you turn your head away from the port side. That dissipates with time.
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Cody_mx-thanks! Found betalfatrus on line. Pricey stuff, but if it works, it is worth it
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numb: I asked to get propofol for my port placement because I did not want to be awake. It is a short acting anesthetic given iv. also received a valium derivative first. Minor discomfort at site which is taken care of with ibuprofen. It is awesome to have a port because all meds and blood draws are done from that site. They spray it with a freeze spray at my clinic prior to inserting a needle.
My chemo nurse said that some people start to grow hair back on taxol. I didn't lose my eyebrows or eyelashes yet. Have a nice evening everyone.
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I hope I start to grow back my hair on Taxol. I'm not a fan of being bald.
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Numb: I was in even less than twilight, and it was still fine. I had moderate to light pain afterward; got in Thurs. afternoon before first chemo on a Friday morning. It was lightly sore for about a week, nothing than Tylenol couldn't handle. And, I love it! Blood draws, chemo, nothing hurts! Hurray!
I have heard that on Taxol only, hair loss is 95%, but it can also happen very late. So who knows. I'm at day 23 (4 weekly treatments) and tons of shedding is occurring and my scalp, particularly crown, is very sore and tender. My chemo nurse said everyone loses it unless you cold cap. But again, who knows.
Not feeling great after a rough week with GI effects, but they are a bit better today so I am hopeful. Had work to do so between that and sleeping, Saturday is gone!
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CJSHARMA - So I guess it is a waiting game as to whether your hair grows back on Taxol or not. If you are already bald then it can't get any worse. I am dying to find out how you do on the Taxol compared with the AC. You flew through the AC. Best of luck with your Consultation on Monday, I sure hope that goes well for you. It is an exciting step in your forward journey.
I find that I get an upset stomach if I eat too much fruit, even one pear sets me off.
POSITIVEPOWER, LIMNOGAL, KATJADVM AND ZOZIANA - Thanks for all the info on your experience of getting the port in. I will ask and make sure I am not aware of what is going on. I can put up with it being sore afterwards but I would prefer to get it done a week in advance of the chemo day because it is an extra thing to contend with on your first week after the chemo, but I guess it is doable and maybe will take my mind off the side effects of the chemo.
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day 3 of my 2nd round and my left leg feels tired and sore. Has anyone experienced the same SE
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Zo - hope you feel better!!
Numb - I guess we'll find out. I certainly don't feel like I flew through AC, but I can see how it appears that way. I'm really sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.
I'm interested in seeing out Taxol differs. I guess I'll find out next week. JLB - I get achey in my knee and ankle from the Nuelasta sometimes. What treatment are you on again?
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cjsharma - same here, knee and ankle with crackling sounds. Walking helps. I am on TCH. Was so flushed yesterday, had to rush back home from grocery shopping. Don't like wigs..
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