Starting Chemo June 2017
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PeachyJeann, sorry you had a rough day yesterday. I think the mental funk is the worst of all side effects. Getting outside for sunshine and a walk usually (but not always!) helps me.
The hot flashes at night are annoying aren't they! I've gotten into a pretty predictable routine of waking up ~1am and needing a cool washcloth, no sheets, and the fan on high. Then waking up at ~3am to pull the comforter up over me. I'm wondering how long this will last.
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Thank you Pink. I think this Ddocetaxel is better than the FEC, no bone pain yet, the only thing is pain in my throat as my body is fighting an infection. The Onco told me to rinse my water 4 times a day with salt water. And tylenol. I hope it helps. Have a great sunday!
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Ladies, I have much catching up to do. I had a very nice getaway to Michigan. (see pictures) Got home Thursday and had #2 Taxol on Friday (my 50th birhtday). While getting my Benadryl drip, I started to kick back and crash (again). Lo and behold my 3 BFFs from GA/FL, came into the room suprising me for the weekend! They got it on tape, but I have included my ugly cry pic. So, I spent the weekend enjoying their wonderful company and going into Chicago for the day on Saturday. They left yesterday, and I will say I was worn SLAP out....in a good way, though. My DH was in on it and had kept the secret for 2 months. It was one of the most beautiful moments in this journey.
The only SE I am having thus far is really loose stool and bad cramping. Both Mondays post it has happened. See a pattern, I guess. I definitely have better energy than on AC rounds 3/4.
Hope everyone is hanging in there, and I will catch up today/tomorrow.
Sorry the pictures are large again.
1) Climbing Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan!
2) I got to SUP last Wednesday.
3) Ugly cry after BFFs surprised me at chemo
4) Attending church with my BFFs yesterday.
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Kim - happy belated birthday!!! You look Wonderful more 🎂🎂🎂🎂 for you.
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Happy Birthday Kim, welcome to the 50's! So great your friends could share it with you and surprised you.
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Hi everyone This is my first post here. I was diagnosed 6/8/17. I have two small tumors in my right breast - and one of them is HER2+. I consulted with a couple surgeons and a plastic surgeon and it didn't feel right. I met with another surgeon who referred me to an oncologist and they both felt it would be best for me to start chemo right away and then do double mastectomy pending reevaluation of my breast tissue via MRI after chemo (every 3 weeks for six rounds).
I had my port implanted 7/5 and started chemo the next day. I've had 3 chemo's so far and its been really rough. I'm getting Herceptin, Perjeta, Carboplatin and Taxotere. I thought I would feel glad that I am technically half way through my chemo but I feel crappy. Each time I get chemo I feel like it burns away another layer of my soul. After my first chemo I was able to bounce back somewhat after about 10 days, but now I never really feel good or normal even leading up to my next chemo. I've been forcing myself to go for walks and stay active when I am physically able to - but I was such an active healthy person before all of this that it's just a lot to reconcile. I need to stay positive and I know many people have it way worse than me but it doesn't make it any easier. I find myself just wishing this time away. I am sure surgery will be another hard painful thing but I can't help but think chemo is the WORST. My doctor asked me if I wanted to lighten up on the chemo doses - has anyone ever done this? I can't really find a lot of other info or advice about it online.
Anyway - I am happy to have found this forum! Sorry for the negative vibes today - just having a bad day. thanks!
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Kim - Happy Birthday! Mine is next week, have 2 appts in the morning, thinking if I feel good out for supper to celebrate with hubby.
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lululove- I certainly empathize with you. I have been through a lot of chemo, surgery and radiation and I'm here to tell you you will make it through. I have been without treatment for three weeks now. My energy is coming back slowly. I still have some side effects from this whole shindig but they are quite manageable. When I was going they chemo I just longed to feel like my normal self. I thought I never would. My days were a jumble of feeling grateful and feeling sorry for myself. Brighter days are coming your way. It just may take awhile.You can do this. Your feelings are normal. These June chemo ladies (I'm originally from Oct '16 chemo board)are a great group. You'll be glad you have them to talk to. I hope things get better soon! 💚
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Welcome, LuluLove! We're sorry to hear you're having a hard time, and please don't apologize! Everyone here understands, and you're more than entitled to a bad day
The Mods
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Lululove - you aren't alone on this journey all of us are with you. We have good days and bad days, believe me this journey will end. I had my 3rd infusion last Friday today is my bad 4th day I went for a short walk even though my energy is not that high. Will go to the store afterwards so I can get out the house to cheer myself up. I had my surgery already, I found chemo is harder to deal with if you compared surgery and chemo.
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Kim those pictures are wonderful and your "ugly cry" is beautiful. I'm glad you had such a memorable birthday.
I just got back from the ER yet again. First time was 2 weeks ago for shortness of breath and this time a stomach bug or something crept up on me and I needed fluids and iv zofran.
Just trying to get through these next 9 weeks without another ER visit then I will be done with chemo.
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lululove, I too am getting THCP chemo, finished 4/6 and have# 5 on Friday. It had been a brutal summer with awful SE but I'm finally having a good week and know I can finish this. The 3 rd week is always good! I finally am getting some SE under control, diarrhea for sure. I hate taking meds but I have learned that I have to stay ahead of it all to make things better. Everyone promises me that food will someday taste good again.its been a long time since that has happened.i just choke down most foods because I know I need strength. My legs finally don't feel like they are wearing 50 Lb ankle weights. There is another TCPH board that has helped me, people who have survived it. Some people stopped after4 and my dr had already said that they are tweaking #5 to help stop the diarrhea some. It will be over soon, the end is in site. I will have surgery after my last chemo but hopefully no radiation
we can get though this!0 -
LuLu, These are the most wonderful, supportive ladies. This is not an easy journey, but someone told me from the start that it is doable. Please, try to keep that in mind on your difficult days (and we ALL have them.) It is doable. This is just a difficult season of our lives, but we are going to get through this and come out tougher than we ever thought we could be. Know you have our support all along the way.
HapB, Celebrating with you that radiation is OVER for you! WOOHOO!
hhuey, I am really sorry you are having such a tough time.
Man, that doesn't seem fair. Stay positive. 9 weeks for you, and 10 more weeks for me. I cannot wait until the end of October!! BJI, Happy early Birthday, if my chemo brain causes me to forget. Chemo brain is for real! Definitely get to dinner if you feel like it. If not, go the next day or when you do. I hope you will feel great on your day.
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Happy birthday Kim. Wonderful pics. BFFs are the best!
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Kim - welcome back! What a wonderful surprise from your friends. Glad to hear that Taxol is manageable.
I have my own picture to post, and it's NOT of the eclipse...
I am DONE with my 12th and final taxol. Yes! On to recovery (...and herceptin, and tamoxofin, and breast reconstruction)
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Congrats TSue!!
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tsue- Congratulations!!!! Mission completed!! 🎊🎊🎊
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Congrats, T-Sue. Your smile says it all!
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T-Sue! Beautiful picture and news to wake to this morning! Doing cartwheels and heel clicks (in my head). Enjoy this day!
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Klt, Congrats on being done with the chemo!!! That must feel great!
Julia, Thinking of you as you care for your father.Peachy, How are you? Are things better? Even after being on Effexor, my hot flashes are still quite bothersome. I don't like how those make me feel, but if that is the worst of it I guess I can handle. I have had some stomach issues with the Taxol (like IBS symptoms). Both times they have happened on Mondays. I will see if this pattern persists next week.
MsLin, How are you?
Pink, Glad your last infusion went well with the veins. I have always had to get up with my pole and head to the bathroom during treatment. My bladder just can't handle all those fluids.
*I noticed my glucose was 124 last week. That was the highest I have seen it. Is anyone else experiencing an increase in their glucose during treatment? It had been around 100 or 101 before, which I didn't like. My nurse didn't even mention it.
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Kim - I'm mediocre at best. I had DD Taxol #3 on Saturday. Today is a day 4 so it's the worst day of the round. I did not get much sleep last night.
On a good note my hair is starting to grow back in! I have a wee bit of fuzz I can feel and see over my remaining stubble. My eyebrows and lashes are still falling out, but hair! Real hair on my head!
*My glucose was elevated one round. I think it was around 120ish. I had just eaten breakfast before the blood draw and I think I had a fruit smoothie that morning. It went down after that
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MsLin - it sounds like taxol gave us sleeplessness night also. Did you take anything to help you sleep at all?
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Kim: Glad you back. Happy Belated Birthday.
To everyone who made it through their final chemo and radiation, way to go. You made it!
I was told the steroids will affect your blood sugar. Mine is usually high the first three to four days after the infusion. I'm starting to realize that once these treatments are all over and done with then it's going to be a long road back to recovery. Getting back in shape, losing the extra weight, getting healthy again.
My Neulasta shot was tougher than I expected. The first 24 hours after the shot was nothing, then, yikes, the bone and muscle pain was bad. Day 5 and just barely managing to shuffle around. Getting better but not sure I want to go through that again.
Noticing today that my nails are turning white??? Well, at least they match my pasty white face. Steroids have worn off so now I feel like crying.
It's not a bad life, just a bad day! Tomorrow will be better.
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I'm on my day 5 also so I can't even type. Feet are heavy and trying not to take zofran do I won't have constipation. Life will be better after treatment.
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MsLin, I am sorry things are just mediocre. I've got "peach fuzz," too! I still have eyebrows and eyelashes, though. I wonder why they didn't/haven't fallen out after AC and 2 rounds of Taxol. Still to come? I do hope my hair will stay put, as I am sure it will be months before I can even get a short 'do to take shape.
Pink, Ok. I will fast on Thursday before to see if it goes back down. I had to do it on Friday before chemo, since we were out of town on Thursday. I had a large Chick-fil-A lemonade, so it doesn't get much more sugary than that.
Hang in there! I always say tomorrow will be better if today is not. It proves true more times than not!Paulette, Have you tried something like Senecot? It has either been constipation or IBS with these chemos, it seems. It has been hard to be "regular" with so much medication. To think I loathe taking pills. Ha. Joke's on me during this time. As a child, I just could NOT swallow pills.
On a good note, I am not having to shave the legs or pits. Speaking of pits, I am noticing more pain where I had the LX and LNs removed. I guess I will mention to my MO this Friday. It's not unbearable, just annoying. I didn't really notice it with the AC. ?
I took my dog for grooming this morning. When I picked her up this afternoon, the winds were strong. I had on a new ballcap given to me by my friends and right as we crossed the parking lot and a woman was smiling at her, the wind took my cap right off. She seemed a little embarrassed for me, but I just laughed and said, "Oops." I am not stressing over that. I was more concerned my cap might get dirty!
Prayers for:
Rest for the restless
A painfree night/day for those in pain
Hope for those who are discouraged
Peace for those who are anxious
Healing for us all!
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Congratulations HapB and T-Sue! So happy you get to shut the door on radiation and chemo.
Kim, your friends and husband are awesome. Looks like you had some nice, quality time away, too. Good for you!!
Pink and Paulette...hang in there!
I had DD Taxol #1 last Thurs. I definitely feel aches in my bones-mostly hips, thighs and knees. Never had the bone pain with neulasta shots like some have had. Ironic that I didn't get the shot this time and now I have bone pain. I am feeling a bit more fatigued. Hot flashes seem better but still occur.
I had to go in today to see the triage nurse because I had a 100.4 fever and it was trending up. Had lab work done and a precautionary chest x-ray. Chest was negative. Told white blood cell count was high enough to fight infection so was sent home and told I could take Tylenol but watch for any new or worsening symptoms. Won't have results from blood work and culture swabs for a couple of days but nurse seemed to think ok since I had no other symptoms other than the fever (and the aches/tiredness that go along with that)
The strange thing was that my temperature was different depending on the thermometer used. The lab temp was 100.4. I brought the thermometer I use at home to take my temperature right after the nurse did to see if mine was the same and mine read 101.8. Then when I went up to the triage nurse she got a 102 reading on one thermometer and 100.4 on another. I understand temp can fluctuate but that seemed odd.
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Peachy - hope your temperature will go down to 98.7.
I knew life will be change after all of us found out we have cancer. What can we do? Accept it and go with it. We will make our life as good as we can, I know will take years for us to get back to track but we will get back to track! 🙏🙏🙏
Hang in there ......
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Feel better soon, Peachy!
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Happy Birthday Kim! Loved the pictures you posted. Stay strong - almost there.
Lulu - I hear you...you can get through this. I am doing the same treatment (minus the Perjeta) and this Thursday is 4 of 6. I really struggled heading into this and I am managing it and you will too. I am working full-time and even taught a Step class last Saturday. I have good days and bad days...these ladies here are so inspirational - I come here on both good days bad days! Not going to lie - this is the hardest place I have been in my life (besides losing my Father in 2014). We will get through.
HapB - congrats on being done with radiation!
T-Sue - wow...congratulations to you! I can't wait to be there too!
Prayers for all and thank you for being there for me even if you don't know that you are!
Sue
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Peachy, Feel better. That is odd about the varying temps. Your WBC are strong to fight whatever is happening, so that is good!
Lilsuzq, Inspirational! Keep working and teaching! Keeping normalcy in the midst of challenges will help you/us get through this!
You beautiful, strong, determined ladies be blessed this day! Whatever you are going through, know you are not alone. Wishes for brighter days. They are just on the horizon!
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