Starting Chemo June 2017
Comments
-
HapB So sorry about your friend.
Julia, Glad you're home safe!
Melanie
0 -
Hhury - so glad you are doing good with taxol. I took my first taxol today I have 30 ml of benedryl I felt a little dizzy I need my hubby made sure I can walk to the bathroom while I'm in infusion. Nurse said I can request 15 ml next round, I might take her advice because I didn't have much reaction today my heartbeat went fast for few minutes then I took a few deep breaths plus prays then went back to normal. I am sure that I will see other SE in few days.
Everyone have a good weekend
0 -
Hey Pink, docetaxol is a beast for fatigue and I found it got worse with each treatment. It kicked my ass most of July and August. I am now about 6 weeks after my last treatment (Aug 1) and the fatigue has finally subsided. I think our temperature cool down has also helped
. About 3 weeks after my last treatment, my feet became very swollen but that went away after a few days. Docetaxol is a gift that keeps on giving . My hair has also decided to grow back. So....it gets better. Hang in there.0 -
Ok I'm going to go eyelash free, no falsies. I already had conjunctivitis and eyelids swollen from them falling out, not going to risk any infection from glue. Or glueing my eyes shut!
My first Taxol was yesterday. I stopped at McDonald's before going and got a hashbrown. My appointment was at 10:30. I finished at 3p.m. The doctor was running behind on his schedule, then My port was acting up and not getting a blood return. I was nauseous and started vomiting. I'm not sure if it was the saline push that i could taste or the hashbrown. Im pretty sure they are gluten free but i could be wrong. I got the premed steroid and benadryl but felt no different. Taxol went in fine as well. I would have to say it was easy but very time consuming. Afterwards we went out to eat and that stayed down, no vomiting. Then off to ikea for some shopping. I got home around 7pm. Went to bed at 10 and up at 5. I feel fine so far. Oh i hope it stays this way!
I see some of you are posting about joint pain and take Aleve. Does the claritin help with that? I took that when I got the neulasta shot and never had pain.
What vitamins are you taking? My doctor says I can take whatever I want but I have no idea what helps with our side effects. I'm guessing I should take b12 and biotin. What do you take?
Glad to see we are all pushing on and getting closer to the end. Stay strong ladies!!
0 -
Hapb - glad you found a solution you like for headcovering! You'll rock that beret!
Susie - sorry you were sick during taxol #1. It could definitely have been the combo of McDonald's and that back-of-the-mouth metallic saline taste. Blech! The steroids definitely make for a wired day #2. I found that they wore off on day #3 and I sometimes felt really grouchy, then wiped out.
My nurses recommended a daily claritin to fend of joint pain during weekly taxol. It seemed to work for me; I only rarely felt joint/bone fatigue during my treatment. For vitamins, I took B12 and D. Started biotin post-chemo.
Have a restful weekend all!
0 -
Thanks IntegraGirl for the encouragement. This Docetaxel is a beast! I see on another forum that my issues are pretty standard for some.
Can't wait to be done with this! Never thought I'd be looking forward to that last treatment.
Hap glad you found something that works.
Susie the things we do, too funny glueing your eyes shut.
I started taking mega doses of B12. It's suppose to help with red blood cells. The internist I saw doesn't believe in any vitamins other than D. Maybe it's all just the placebo effect. Our minds are very powerful. Our bodies are amazing at how they can heal themselves.
0 -
HapB, I hope you bought a "raspberry beret...the kind you find in a second hand store." Oh, I couldn't help but quote Prince. I often recite lyrics to reply to my DH.
Glad you love the look. You will have great confidence stepping out in them. Send a pic sometime if you'd like. Susie, Don't worry about the eyelashes. You don't want to risk more conjunctivitis. Had that decades ago - no fun! I wonder if it was the hashbrown, but I tell you the Betadine/Iodine they swab on my port provides much better taste issues than the original more alcohol prep. Maybe request that and see if you see a difference. HUGE difference for me, and it is now in my record to only use that. I am sucking down the lemonade anytime infusions start. It helps a lot.
Regarding vitamins, I only take Vitamin C and 300mg of Vitami D, which I was on prior to diagnosis. I have fought normal Vitamin D levels for years.
I showed my 4 bruised nails to my nurse yesterday. They also have a slightly orange tint, and she said that is definitely the Taxol. She said they would not fall off but will just grow out. I am going to put the Nail Envy back on with a light pink polish to kind of mask it. I am not stressing about the look, but I had to have my DH pop open some soup cans I needed for a crockpot dish I am making today. It could be much worse.
Is anyone else fighting a bloody nose? Mine is just when I blow, which is often, because it is always dripping. This just started a week ago. My nurse said it is just irritation.
I finished Taxol #6 - only 6 more to go! My office doesn't have a bell, so I am going to take a cowbell we have and ring it myself when I am done! lol Hopefully, I won't frighten anyone! I've got to celebrate!
Is anyone else dealing with chemo brain? I struggle some days more than others to find simple words in conversation. It is for real, though. Calling it my "Kimmo Brain."
Hot flashes persist, but don't seem quite as bad as they were. Thankful for any relief with that!
0 -
Kim - I too had a bloody nose on weekly taxol. In fact it was really the first SE I noticed. I think the nasal passage is just so sensitive. It seemed to last through most of my summer of taxol, but eased up towards the end.
0 -
hhuey, I am glad you had minor damage only. I am also glad you are seeing the chemo end in sight! We are almost there! It feels so good.
I, too, have some pain in my hips/legs. I do feel better if I move, but on Mondays I am usually hugging the couch. It just feels like that's where I'd rather be. Fatigue just hits me, and I give myself permission to just rest.
On day 1 of Taxol, that 50mg of Benadryl made me think I was having a stroke. I did NOT like that. The next week it was lowered to 25 mg then 12.5 week 3 onward. Yesterday, she pushed it a little faster, and I could tell. I was in and out in exactly 2 hours yesterday, so it should get faster, Susie.
I hope you enjoy the 3-4 week break. They originally told me I would have about 4 weeks off post chemo and then do more lymph node surgery. Then another month and the 6 weeks of radiation. I hope we will all continue to stay connected as we continue further treatment, for those that will. Do I assume most people will be doing radiation post? I hear it is a breeze for many compared to chemo. I am surely counting on that! My first DH did very well with his brain radiation. I do remember he was tired, but he was also doing oral chemo at the same time.
Be well. I am not taking any OTCs for my joint pains. I really despise meds, so I am just "toughing" it out so to speak.
0 -
KimPossible818 Yes the bloody noses are from nasal passages being so dry from taxol. Also you lose hairs in your nose that catch the drips, annoying SE. For the bloody nose I used a gel Ayr at night..
0 -
I'm going to bring out my moisture mist out maybe that will help the nasal passages. Kim maybe you can do that at night which will help your bloody nose. Talk about chemo brain, I sure got that very quick
0 -
Ha ha, I just hold the Kleenex box under my nose for two weeks. It's day 8 and my nose is starting to run. Back to the Benadryl.
Last time my nose bleed was bad and I thought I was going to ER to get it to stop. Took 20 minutes but it did stop. Woke up in the morning with blood all over the bed. They don't list it as a side effect and they also don't want to admit to it. I'm pretty sure it's a side effect. I feel like a little kid with the sniffles.
0 -
Pink , Kim - so frustrated with this bloody nose SE I know I got this kind of problem when I went to dry climate area.
0 -
The only two things I find that help somewhat are Benadryl to keep the nose from running and putting vaseline in my nose every night before bed. Benadryl also helps with the watery eyes.
This time around hasn't been as bad but it is starting up again. Possibly because there's no smoke in the air from all the forest fires to irritate my allergies.
Everyone have a great day. Soon it will all be over with and we'll be onto the real healing.
0 -
Paulette:
This whole "journey" has been frustrating!! I find I lose my patience a lot easier now than before. I'm quicker to anger about the silliest of things. No strength some days to even pick up a pencil. Sobbing uncontrollably about nothing really. Mourning the loss of my old life and not so sure about embracing some aspects of this new life.
I think the hardest part of all of this, will be when the chemo, radiation, tests, and doctors appointments are all done. Everyone will assume we're back to normal and that's not true. It's going to take months to get the strength back, years to build the immune system back up, and the constant nagging in the back of my mind wondering if this bc will come back. I'm hoping that when this is all over, I can focus on living and put this all behind me as a distant memory. I can do the things I love and enjoy which will bring happiness into my heart.
You can too! Go hug your little princess!
0 -
Pink,
I know your frustration because I feel the same way. I feel my life is no longer under our control, we don't know what is coming next because our SE each time and each day can change. What I can do is react to all the changes, enjoy the good days and put up with the bad days. Prayers hope God will take care of me give me more good days. After all our chemo, radiation I will try to enjoy my life as much as I can. We can't live on scare because we all live on borrowed time anyway. We can only enjoy each day to the most.
Pink ... we will be there smile girl!!! Rainbow is waiting for us.
0 -
I have no issues with bloody nose. It does get drippy so I need tissues at hand at a moment's notice. The Claritin I take seems to help. Had some annoying bone pain yesterday (day 4 after Taxol) that required taking Advil. Mostly my knees were very sore/stiff.
I do believe I am sprouting some hair but with that comes some ingrown hairs in the back that are pretty sensitive. I have a handful of them. I don't sleep with my cap on anymore because of the hot flashes. I may need to go back to it to help prevent friction with the new hairs coming in. I don't want to complain about hair growth, but it does hurt to have these little pimples.
I can relate to feeling out of control. I will finish chemo soon but then that opens the door to another unknown world. I've gotten used to chemo world.
I finish Taxol on Sept 28 and go back to my surgeon on Oct 11. I anticipate I will be scheduled for a breast MRI to determine shrinkage from chemo. The one palpable lump I have at 3:00 location has definitely shrunk. It went from a "pea" to a "grain of rice" in size. The other spot in the 5:00 lower quadrant was never palpable and was picked up by an MRI along with the lymph node so I have no idea how they have responded.
I don't know what else to expect except discussing/researching surgery options. Before chemo, to remove both areas with margins would have basically taken a majority of my breast so mastectomy was assumed. Once the node came back positive they sent me for chemo first to treat systemically and open up the possibility to do lumpectomy if areas shrunk enough. I'm told I may not get to avoid radiation even with a mastectomy. The nodes could be the deciding factor for radiation. At least this is what my nurse said.
I'm starting to feel a little stressed over the upcoming decisions I'll need to make. Just looking into the types of reconstruction/plastic surgery is enough to make my head spin. That said, I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself.
0 -
Peachy - don't stress out think about finally you're going to remove all the cancer from you breast so you are cancer free. Prayers for you.
0 -
Peachy - though our treatments are reversed (I had surgery, the chemo), I can relate to your feeling overwhelmed. I was originally told lumpectomy for my malignant tumor. When my MRI discovered a second tumor (in the same breast), I faced the reality of a mastectomy. Wrapping my brain around one diagnosis and surgery and then have it switch to a different one really threw me for a loop. I felt so out of control! I will say that, looking back, I am glad to have all of my breast tissue removed and to never have to face another mammogram. I've been pretty happy with the results of my breast reconstruction. It was so helpful to find a good PS who was able to talk me through the choices and his recommendations. Good luck with your decisions!
0 -
Peachy, difficult decisions especially with the unknown. When the time comes, follow your heart. Gather as much info as you can. This website is a great resource. Trust your surgeon they've seen it lots of times and know what the outcome is likely to be.
My temperature went up to 38.1 for over an hour last night which is an automatic trip to the ER. Over a one hour wait to get in then another one hour for results an a chest X-ray. My gosh there's a lot of people visiting the ER. What a gong show! Next time I'll just take Tylenol and stand outside in the cold. All is well in the end and nothing to worry about.
Saw the Radiation Oncologist today. So confusing as to what to believe. Chemotherapy stats and radiation stats don't seem to jive. I guess the biggest worry is heart and lung damage. She wants to start first of 20 treatments by the week of October 23. That's only three weeks after the last chemo treatment. On the one hand I do want to get this over and done with but I also don't want to push my body beyond the limitations. We shall see.
0 -
Pink and Paulette: Thanks for the encouragement. We take turns around here calming each other's nerves don't we? Collectively, we are a strong chain.
T-Sue...so you had both breasts removed even though only one had tumors? Only my left breast had cancer detected (and a lymph node - only one node was biopsied but two were suspect) I have had a PET scan and cancer did not show up anywhere else.
I spoke to a friend over the weekend that went through this with his wife 18 years ago. His opinion was remove both breasts and be done with it. His wife had a recurrence 5 years after her initial diagnosis and it was very difficult on their whole family. He said what you summed up...remove breast tissue=no breast cancer. She did, however, just have to have her implants replaced this year because there was a chance they cause cancer. Can't make it up.
Taking both breasts out of the game makes sense to me and would give some peace of mind. But the other side of it is that it is a much more involved procedure and recovery, not to mention forever losing sensation across my whole chest. I know my surgeon is keen on preserving as many lymph nodes as possible. I wonder what her reaction will be to my asking for a "healthy" right breast to be removed. I don't know that I'd be constantly worried about a recurrence if I only deal with lefty now, but I do know I would be upset if it did happen down the road.
Like I said...enough to make one's head spin!
0 -
Hi Peachy, yes, I had a BMX even though only one breast had the two tumors. It's a very personal decision and I don't judge anyone's decision, I can just share my thinking and justification. The chance of recurrence in my "healthy" breast was high enough that I didn't want to risk going through a SECOND mastectomy and round of chemo 5, 10, 30 years down the road. My dense breast tissue has always been hard to mammogram, so I've had enough call backs over the years to look at suspicious shadows that I knew I didn't want to continue to have that annual stress. The double mastectomy with tissue expanders was surely more involved than a single mastectomy, but my thinking was to get it all done at once rather than potentially split it up into two procedures. Also, I'd heard from enough women who had a single MX that they and their PS had trouble making the two breasts 'match.' Many of them had additional surgeries to get the two more symmetrical.
I've read many many articles about how doctors and patients shouldn't be removing healthy breasts, but I just don't buy it for myself. I have no regrets about it and am relieved to know that my risk of recurrance is lower.
0 -
T-Sue and Peachy: I had the option of having both breasts removed because of having it both breasts at the same time. The surgeon said that it doesn't matter if you have a mastectomy or lumpectomy the chance of recurrence is the same. Not sure why that is because if you don't have a breast than how can it recur unless it metastasizes elsewhere. In my case I also had it in 2 out of 6 lymph nodes on the left side which meant it had already spread beyond the breast. I still chose lumpectomy because recovery was easier. I'm older (66) and am taking my chances that by the time it decides to come back I'll die from other causes. Probably from the side effects of chemo and radiation. If it does come back before then well I don't think I'll be doing chemo again.
Only you can decide what to do Peachy. Everyone's case is different. Everyone's reasons for their decision is personal. You'll know when the time comes what you want to do.
I was lucky that all my tumours were in a row about 1/4 inch apart so they could do a lumpectomy and still leave enough tissue to make it look normal. As the surgeon put it "it'll be like taking a piece out of the pie." With a bra on you can't tell any difference.
HapB: That's what the RO said.
0 -
Peachy, I am sure these are difficult decisions you face. You are so right. When one of us is down, the others are there to cheer us on. What we all have endured and are enduring! My hair is also sprouting, and it does hurt coming back in. It hurt falling out and hurts coming back in. I am with you, in that the hat at night is now too hot, so I put it on/off throughout the night to keep my hairs from irritating me. Stay strong!
I have hugged the couch most of today. It's my Monday Funday. I do wonder what all this chemo will do to me long-term, but only 6 more of them. I have to stay focused.
HapB, So glad the BC radiation was uneventful. May we all have the same outcome.
0 -
I still have 11 more to go and today I hardly can eat much if this is continue how can I have enough white / red blood cell for more chemo. 😓😓😓😓
0 -
Peachy, I ordered a very inespensive ebook that helped me in my decision making about whether to have a single or double mastectomy and in deciding about reconstruction/no reconstruction. You can find the link to it here. Her blog is also very good. Wishing you peace about whatever you decide
http://nancyspoint.com/ebooks/
0 -
Paulette, Stay strong! Just eat what you can/when you can. I am giving my permission to just eat what I think tastes good in the moment. I am eating A LOT of Chick-fil-A sandwiches!! Good thing I downloaded their app. I have gotten quite a few freebies through the summer.
I already feel stronger today and have not ventured to the couch. I am back doing some PT, which I was doing prior to BC diagnosis for myofascial pain syndrome. Since I am all paid out of pocket for the year, I might as well work on old ailments.
Wishing each of you a day of no pain, good tastes, rest if needed, peace in decision-making and strength to keep on keeping on!
0 -
Kim - I'm so envy that you only have six more to go. I will hang in there and keep eating. I don't want my weight drops more I need to think about food more
0 -
Quick question for those having DD Taxol...
I am from July Chemo thread but am gearing up for my first DD Taxol infusion this week on Thursday. I tolerated AC very well...worst SE was major fatigue on days 3 & 4. Not like "I am tired and need to take a nap" feeling, more like those 2 days I could hardly leave my couch. But then I would snap out of it and be good and only mildly tired until next treatment. Our son has an out of town XC meet this weekend that I plan to attend and really want to. XC meet will be post chemo day 3. I know all of us are different but how bad was fatigue with DD Taxol compared to AC? Everything I have read says it should be better? I can handle tired but praying I won't have be the major fatigue with taxon.
0 -
Hi all,
I don't post much but check in almost daily. I had #5 of #6 (TCH) last Thursday and it kicked my butt this time. I have been working full-time and even teaching a few fitness classes here and there (my old life as I call it). Oct 5th is my last TC and was seriously doubting that I can do it. However, after two Advil and a good cry I am just going to go for it. What's one more, right? I did surgery before chemo so for me - this will be the end of my journey (so-to-speak). I struggle with returning to 'normal' because there is no normal anymore. I guess there will be a new normal? I was able to find inner strength that I never thought existed. Also - so blessed with so many Angels - angels I never anticipated. Also - a few people I thought would be angels and turned out that they were not able to do that. That is ok.
I just want to provide encouragement and prayers to each of you. You are all beautiful and strong. Stay the course. We got this!
Sue
0
