Who is starting chemo in September 2016?
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Hello, I am a newbie (but a lurker) for many months. I waited want to thank everyone for their candor on here. I've found a lot helpful. I started AC on September 30.
Question: I have 1 treatment of AC left. I seem to have an atypical regimen - I did neoadjuvent 12 weeklyTaxol (May - August), then lumpectomy, and now adjuvent DD AC. Has anyone else done it in that order? Wondering when, after the last chemo, I will start to feel somewhat normal. AC has been a hard road so far (bone pain, got an infection and landed in hospital), but dose 3 so far has been the "best."
To offer my own 2 cents: for people having Taxol AFTER AC - there is light! It's so much more mild. At least it was for me. Some neuropathy towards end, but it has largely gone away. Took B12 complex which helped. PS: tell your docs straightaway if you feel numbness in your face! They got very scared for me and delayed my last dose. But good news, it went away:)
More background: I'm 31 and my mother also currentlysuffers from BC, Stage IV (for 5 years, recurrence). It's been hard "relating" to her, as awful as that sounds. I much prefer these boards.
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Hope419-
Welcome to BCO, and thank you for your input! We're glad you've found us, and hope you find these boards to be a source of support.
The Mods
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Sam & Emily : granddaughters! Sounds like the best medicine there is! Enjoy every moment with them!
I received a wonderful surprise gift from Amazon over the weekend. My wonderful friend purchased a Breville fountain juicer for me to start on a new adventure of juicing health. Yay! And Whoa! Lots to learn and lots of work ahead it seems. If any one is a juicer I'd love to share tips, respcipes, results. Anyone know if there is already and active board on this website for juicing ? I didn't find one. I've been trying to move to a more organic , less gmo lifestyle In attempt to get thru all this as healthy as possible and hopefully reduce chance of reoccurrence,
My friend also sent me a copy of every one of Kris Carrs books "Crazy Sexy...Cancer." Diet, cancer survivor tips, juices, etc.. This author is new to me as well , but so far very interesting reading.
I'm on day 12 of 2nd TCHP chemo treatment . Fatigue has hit me harder this time but the stomach issues have been a little easier this time around. Lost my voice with both treatments, have an appt to see ENT next week. Hope to get some answers and a solution. Neuopathy in fingertips starting too. Have been taking my B vitas and trying to get LGutamin in me. But may need to work on getting more of that down. --in my new juices! Lo
Have a good week everyone. Stay strong! 💗
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Hope--Welcome--glad you're joining us on here. Even though my chemo is in the opposite order as yours I wanted to thank you for the input on Taxol. I finished AC two weeks ago and start Taxol on Friday. I had relatively few SE on AC and am getting a little nervous for the Taxol though, especially the neuropathy that goes with it. Did any of your hair grow back on Taxol? I didn't lose all mine on AC and am getting varying stories of whether it will start growing back on Taxol or if I will lose what I have left.
My 4th AC was the worst. Again no SE to speak of, but I just felt horrible for a full week and a level of fatigue I have never felt before. I really hope that doesn't happen with the Taxol. I bet when you are done with your last one you will start to feel like yourself within a couple of weeks. Congratulations on almost being done!!!!
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Good morning Everyone! Haven't posted in awhile, but have been trying to keep up with everyone's posts. Have to say I cannot believe how far we've come. Everyone's posts about cravings really cracked me up:) I thought I was going crazy with all of a sudden wanting McDonald's, especially milkshakes
. They really hit the spot, and I figure any liquid I can get into me...and keep in is a good thing.Saw my plastic surgeon on Monday and we ended up deflating my "foobs", aka fake boobs. It's crazy! So, I have gone from 870-850 cc's of liquid in my former real breasts to now 270 cc's in my foobs, quite a substantial difference which I am enjoying. Cannot stand the expanders and am totally hoping that the saline implants are more natural and comfortable. Thankfully, all of my sutures from my bi-lateral mastectomies have finally healed. My body rejected and ejected most of the dissolving sutures which is a huge bummer. I'm looking at the final implant surgery in September and am not looking forward to going through this whole suture rejection/ejection thing as they all got infected. Also, have to say I'm seriously re-considering the whole implant thing. Hard to swallow I'm actually putting foreign bodies into my body while fighting foreign bodies. Has anyone else had these feelings?
So I started my 3rd chemo yesterday and am hoping that these next 3 weeks go like the previous two. I'm on TCHP and also trying to keep motivated. After my 6 sessions of TCHP, I continue with HP through next September. I have heard and read that the SE's with HP should not be as hard and that my hair should start growing back. I'm still rocking the buzz cut and now bald spots and am thinking that I'm not going to shave until I absolutely have to do so. Often I just go about without a beanie/hat unless it's too cold. Then it's hat on, hat off, hat on, hat off.....
What I have been experiencing which really drives me crazy is that I get hot head flashes which are extremely annoying. Yesterday's chemo was rather traumatic as well because we had 2 patients go out of the treatment room on gurnies. The second one actually coded which was extremely scary and lead to a number of tears being shed for her and for us. Hopefully they all will be okay...and Us as well.May everyone's SE's be do-able, minimal and short-lived.
PEACE!
Diane
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Hey All
Sorry I have been trying to keep up but I feel so disorganized amd scattered . .things are slipping through the cracks...and I feel overwhelmed at times . Can't all be.chemo brain!!
I also have.cravings.but I felt bad mentioning because so many were sick..but I crave bad things and I was trying to be healthy!!! .I also have times of no appetite . ..but a nurse said you eat what you want now..get the calories in you..On the flip side my neighbor who is 3 months post treatment said she could eat what she wanted during treatment but after blew up amd needed to get on a fitness regimen to get herself back on track.
I also get eye twitching and now finger twitching . .didn't think twice about the eye but since you guys have it amd now with finger I guess it's an SE.
Hope419..welcome . .so sorry you and your mom are both in this..I imagine it would be.hard to talk with each other at times...trying to support each other but also lean on each other or try not to compare each other's journeys. Glad you can get.some solace amd support here.
Sorry again for being behind . ..
Sending good vibes to all..and share Halloween pics if you guys have interesting ones!!! haha
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@seq24 - thanks for the welcome! Okay, so I wouldn't say it started growing in over the course of the 12 weeks, maybe a little fuzz? But it did start to grow quickly in the month & a half break I had for lumpectomy. Now losing it again, but not all yet. I'd say, keep expectations low about hair growth during Taxol, and then if it does, yay!
My first 2 AC's were bad. I think I was carrying an infection that lingered, and really busted out after dose 2, landing me in the hospital, neuropenic. I'm hoping my 4th isn't my worst because that would be REALLY bad.
Taxol, for me, was just a slew of annoyances. While with AC I feel like crap overall, Taxol was more like, Oh, constant dry bloody nose, annoying! Oh, I can't buckle my seatbelt because I have nail pain, annoying! Mouth sores, nail discoloration, etc. That kind of thing. I didn't have fatigue until the end. I worked out through week 10. Neuropathy is just luck of the draw, I think, take B complex and report anything right away. Perks of taxol: no Neulasta/bone pain, nausea isn't nearly as bad. One thing that kept scaring me, but that my onc told me was normal with these taxanes, was sensitivity to light, especially when driving, or coming into a bright room. I was paranoid and thought I had something wrong with my brain. But the taxanes cause this sensitivity to your nerves, etc. So it's normal. Good luck, and let me just say I wish I had my chemos in your order, AC first, then Taxol!
@lmencken: thanks for your kind words, sending positive vibes your way!
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Cheetos! My favorite craving. Fortunately, I'm also craving fruits and veggies, so it balances out. We also do a lot of Popeyes, once I can stand the smell of fried chicken, which is not for the first week. But then I eat steel cut oatmeal, so I feel healthier.
Hot flashes are my worst SEs on AC. Horrible for the first 5 days or so. I want to sleep all the time, and the hot flashes wake me up all the time. Yuck. The second week is much better, though.
I was given a huge aloe leaf last week. It is supposed to help with digestion (and cancer), by eating a small piece each day. I can't do it. I don't want to eat anything, really, except cheetos, so something weird is hard to do. Plus it can have a SE of diarrhea, and I want to stay away from that. I ended up scooping out the middle and froze it for use during radiation. I know it will help that.
AC#3 took a day longer to recover from. Not looking forward to #4. Except, well, that will be the last of that.
Stay strong!
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I'm at my first taxon infusion. Waiting on blood work to come back. Hopefully it is good so we can knock this out. I am sooo looking forward to ending this.
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Good Luck on your first Taxol Ware!
Let us know how you do on this new one..
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Hi everyone! I'm going in for treatment #4 of TCHP in the morning, and I'm feeling a bit nervous. I can almost hear the click click click of the roller coaster car approaching the top of the hill - soon I'll be plunging downward into all my usual chemo SE's. Only good thing is the knowledge that in a couple of weeks the car will start up the hill again and the SE's will diminish. Getting tired of all these ups and downs though...
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After the one week of delay due to neuropathy, I had round 4 treatment for TCHP today. Uneventful but I'm finding it more challenging to sit through the treatment day now that the curiosity factor of how it all works has faded (and i know to expect the SEs starting up later ~).
Labs yesterday were decent, after the blood transfusion last Thursday my anemia went from from "severe" range to moderate which I was very happy about. It was definitely concerning to see how bad that had gotten, and could have dropped further into the SOS range without action to turn it around. My finicky port worked right away for labs, and again for treatment after failing one of the two days last week. Go figure. My MO did briefly check on the neuropathy but did not dose reduce for round 4. That's still in some conflict between him and the clinic staff. I'll need to ask about it before round 5.
A dumb thing that came up earlier this week, they have me take a steroid the day before, during, and after treatment which I've been dutifully doing. this week as I picked up the bottle, I noticed I had a ton of pills left even after i'd taken a few last week before round 4 was put off. Looked closer, and realized (doh) that I was supposed to be taking two pills in morning and two at night, vs. the one each which I'd actually be doing. Trying the full dose this week on my do-over, hope it will help fight off some of the SEs I've seen the last two rounds. It may add some new ones, I felt really wired last night and only got to sleep around 2 am before I had to get up around six for early treatment.
Lately I've been having pain/aching in my stomach and a feeling of tightness up to my chest every couple of hours, has anyone else seen that? Sometimes it is preceding when I might get a bout of dry heaves/vomiting, but not all always. I've taken a Motrin or two and that seems to help it but I'm not sure that's the right step or not. MO and R.N.s didn't have any suggestion, seemed a little surprised I was reporting this effect which is one I'm not thrilled about as it's waking me up at night every couple hours.
Best wishes to everyone else advancing through their regimens or nearing the finish line.
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Hello All
Had my 3rd infusion of TCHP yesterday.. new SE yesterday during the infusion dull back pain and bloated. Normal SE back pain during Taxotere. I normally get a heating pad which helps. Last night I got home and I was hungry MIL made shredded beef burritos. I had one and now Im gassy and bloated. Hoping this SE doesnt stick around. Not pleasant at all.
Will say this time the fatigue is hitting me sooner than the last 2 Infusions. 3 down 3 more to go.
Hahlyn
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MissLil- I think I completely understand what you are talking about. I have #4 tomorrow and the days seems to be dragging out and not moving as quickly as they were previously. I guess that the novelty has word off and not it seems much more of a drudgery. Hoping that the feeling wears off soon as I still have 1/2 of my treatment of ugly chemo left. I think part of it may be that I am waiting for things to happen (like being able to schedule an appt with the BS and PS) to try to get some type of timeline working (yes,I am a total planner). I told a survivor friend of mine that I am sooo looking forward to being able to go more than a week without have a test/seeing a dr. It the small goals, right?
Here's to hoping #4 is as SE free as possible!
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round one of taxol seemed to go ok. Felt queasy during premeds. It took 3 hours for the taxol infusion alone. Ugh. But I'm feeling pretty good right now. I hope it continues. Good luck to all who will be starting taxol soon.
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BeachBabyK, yes, all of that I think. It didn't help when I had the extra week before round 4. I was hoping to see a significant tapering off of SEs in that week going 4 weeks from treatment 3, but it didn't really happen even when I'd come in last week and got the blood transfusion and some extra fluids as they were prepping to administer the TCHP drugs before calling it off for that day. I asked the MO when I could expect the SEs to fade off from the last round. He said into the 5th week past treatment would be a good bet but i had the impression I could have seen more this past week than I did. Hopefully others will have quicker results.
My 6th round now won't be until Dec 15th, so where I'd previously been hoping to round the corner from treatment and SEs by the holidays, it's looking now more like I can expect SEs to run well into January.
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Hahlyn, I found I was having back pain today at treatment. Very uncomfortable, I kept hopping up to stand for a while, put a blanket behind my back, fiddled with the chair settings. Part of it at least is self-inflicted, with the amount of nausea/etc i've been having, i've been sleeping on my sofa in the family room for the past month or more (tmi - ~ close to the kitchen sink when needed to throw up, and to my drug collection if I need to try something to quell nausea overnight). Not good for my back as the sofa is getting squishier. I tried sleeping in the bedroom last night, with a bucket handy. i didn't have any nausea issues but i was only there a few hours between the possibly-steroid-related insomnia and waking up from the stomach aching every so often.
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Thanks misslil - I too have beenot on thwith couch for at least a month. Started in the family room then moved to the living room. Neither seem to be working but it's better than my bed right now. I too while getting the infusions played with the chair blanket etc...did what I could just to get thru. Honestly I'm sure we all just cant wait for this to be over.
My 4th infusion is the day before Thanksgiving I host every year. My family this year will cook at my house...however the SE are kicking in sooner so Thanksgiving will be a little tricky. Hoping I can at least get the strength to be a piece of. Hostess..even though everyone understands.
Hahlyn
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Missil, I asked for a sleeping pill (now on one) to combat the steroid high..the two pills twice a day riles me up so much that sleep is non existent and then by night 4 I'm into the SEs badly which keep me up. Funny, my nurse looks at me funny about abdominal cramping too and says "that must be the diarrhea"... uh no, I'm now on Zofran which is helping the Big D ( so far, please please please) but it's the chemo baby. Two things help slighltly with that: a heating pad across my belly and Naproxen or some other muscle relaxant. Otherwise the more I cramp, the more I tense up which is bad news all round.
During a short hospital stay in my last round when I was needing hydration and my WBC was almost zero, my platelets were low so I pigged out on a lot of red meat and it, surprisingly, doubled the numbers into a normal range again ready for this round.
Yesterday was round 3 for me and I agree the novelty is off, and I truly dread what's to come. I'm better equipped to be ready for it, but still I feel like a lab rat and I'm very envious of those who have little SEs. They don't know how lucky they are. It's hard to keep my mood up through this
I don't know how many of you feel that way too0 -
Finished my A/C two weeks ago and started Taxol few days ago. Feel like they forgot to give me any chemo. What a nice brake from the A/C.
Gods speed!!
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Hahlyn, Beebs - thanks for the comments. After a short nap yesterday afternoon, i was up until my 'normal' (pre-all this bedtime) just before midnight. I tried sleeping in my bedroom, got a little more sleep than I'd expected. Not sure if I'm adjusting to the doubled steroids, or just got so little sleep the first day on them it was inevitable I could crash harder last night.
Slept about 3 hours, woke up, and woke once more before up for good around 7:30. I took one Motrin right before bed after taking a couple earlier n the evening before as I was getting that stomach/chest aching & tight feeling. I could feel that pain when I woke up, but it wasn't bad enough to drive me downstairs to fetch the pills thankfully. I have not had diarrhea much for the past few days, in my case I don't think it's connected to that but I've wondered maybe the stomach/chest weirdness could be due to a mix from the nausea, loss of weight, not eating as much. I'm trying to eat at least something every couple of hours even if just a few crackers, seeing if that may help.
Round 5 for me will wrap around Thanksgiving as well.
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boondocks-is it DD taxol or 12 week? I get my 1st DD next Friday and am really hoping for for a reaction like yours! AC hasn't been horrible but #4 definitely has been the hardest. My mom comes to town next week for a visit and really don't need her to witness SE like this past week. Wish she didn't pick a chemo week for a visit but then she wants to "be there" for me....but constantly says it should have been her. Enough with the guilt tripping- it could be like some ladies here tag teaming or pairing up with their moms! Patience, breathe and prayers for a calm week...
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Looks like for a lot of us this Thanksgiving will be one to remember (or rather, try to forget?). I always do Thanksgiving at my house - I wait in line for my fresh turkey, brine it for 18-24 hours then spend all day getting ready for my family to descend. It's by far my absolute favorite holiday. No gift giving to get in the way, just a day of family, eating and drinking! My 5th treatment falls the day after Thanksgiving (yes, they will be open so no Black Friday shopping for me, lol). Even though I've still offered my house, everyone insists that I take it easy so off we will go to my sister's house in Boca Raton. Just wait, my turkey next year will be an awesomely generous c cup!
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Hello Everyone,
I'm from the Sept. 2013 chemo group and just thought I would drop in to give you encouragement. Wishing all of you the very best! Chemo is hard, there is no doubt about it, but it is managable. Three years from now, it will feel like a distant memory. Hang in there. You've got this!
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My schedule says I should have a Black Friday infusion too but my center is closed! I haven't heard if I attempt to move up or get delayed. Neither is a good option
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docmama, I am having Thanksgiving this year (even though I start radiation that week). I would love to steal your turkey idea, it's hilarious. Is that two lemon halves under the skin?
simplelife4real, that is so sweet of you to drop in. My side effects for the most part are mild but there are times when I just don't know if I can take it any more. It's encouraging to hear positive messages from those who have been in our shoes.
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Bagsharon, this was a picture from My BC Team's pinterest page. It's just 2 lemon halves under the skin. I don't think there is an actual recipe. Here is the link:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/396457573424643112/
That's wonderful that you're hosting Thanksgiving. I'll miss all the prep this year, but I'm willing to be pampered, lol.
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Taxol #1 done!! Was kind of worried, but nothing to report. Everything went smoothly, no reactions, nothing. I did get sleepy from the Benadryl, but I believe the nurse gave me the wrong amount as the other nurse said it should only have been 25 mg rather than the 50 she gave me. The only issue was that after they started the pre meds I got a call from the pharmacist saying that since I was already there they were recommending an IV drip of potassium as my level has been dropping, which I knew. I'm already taking prescription supplements but was told I need more. I told them that was fine, but what they didn't tell me was that the drip takes 4 hours and involves 4 bags of the stuff given at a very slow rate. This was after they started it. I absolutely had to be home by a certain time as I had to pick up my daycare kids from school and since I didn't know about this in advance, I wasn't able to make arrangements ahead of time. I made it through 3 bags and I absolutely had to leave. There was no other option.
Anyway, I feel great so far. A world of difference from that nasty AC. I iced my hands and feet using the cold gel mitts that they provided. I don't think they stayed cold enough and they didn't have another set to switch out. I hope it at least helped some. I am taking Vitamin B6, B complex and was told by NP yesterday to start D3 to help with calcium absorbtion. And Claritin if I want as sometimes bone aches and pains are a side effect. I will also start putting tea tree oil on my nails as an extra precaution.
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Day after taxol #1....so far so good. No problems. Feel pretty good. Fingers crossed this continues. I hope it is easy for everyone else.
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CC2016, I'm doing the 12.
Good Luck!!
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Great news SEQ...glad you had a smooth infusion other than the thousand bags of pottasium..lol
I had my second Taxol today and I feel like yall also...I feel way better than I did with AC..i am up and doing things....only thing I did with AC was be in severe pain and sleep.
BeeBS....I totally agree with you on the "hard to keep your mood up"....I find myself sometimes getting smart with family members and strangers, and I don't even know what I said til its done came out my mouth....I am aggravated and frustrated a lot lately....I try so hard to keep a strong face....but its hard to do that all day long....I finally just told my family that I apologize in advance and when I say things that aren't not nice to not pay me any attention....or sometimes a family member really wants to talk to me about something important to them and I am just not interested......Cancer has turned me into a freaking Asshole.....so its like I am working really hard to think before I speak...and so far so good...b/c I love my family..they are the reason I am doing all of this....and I need them....b/c I am not this person...I am not an Asshole.
Happy Weekend All
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