Starting Chemo in July 2017
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Love the photos. Jen- Coal is beautiful. Paulette-Mimi cracks me up. Theresa cute Charlie and Eddie. 2 black cats in the group. Leatherette, I love Leo and Nico. I have 2 kitties that I adopted at age 5 a couple of years ago. They never got proper names and I call them dark cat and light cat. Their previous given names were too fussy for me. They have been a cuddle blessing during this mess.
Pingpong. congrats on finishing chemo. Not to worry about the drains, after living through chemo, that is nothing. It is just an irritant.
Lojo- thanks for the positive update. So glad to hear about your taste buds. My mouth feels burned and the only thing that still tastes good is ice-cream. And that can't be good.
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thanks! Now that I'm not in a hot hurry (beyond the usual desire to be done!) I'll let the RO schedule the start when he wants to...
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Good morning,
I get to say that I'm 1 day PFC, woot. I don't plan on moving on from this thread till the last person finishes up. I guess as people move on I'll stay and turn out the lights.
That being said, contact Paulette to join the fb group. Might be easier as we move on to other things.
Well I've been up since 5am enjoying all that steroids have to offer. Just a couple more sleepless nights. Funny how it didn't faze me in the least on AC, I slept like a baby on steroids.
I've decided to get all my Christmas shopping done before rads start on 11/29. Would also like to get a bunch of dinners in the freezer for those nights during rads when I've run out of steam.
My RO did say that the fatigue won't be as bad as I feel when I have my steroid crash. That's a relief.
Well hubby got up earlier and I hear him banging around in the kitchen. I think I'll go see what he's up to.
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Happy first day PFC, Teese! And no rads until the 29th of Nov.! Dare you even hope for some semblance of life like it was pre bc?
Hope you have a great day.
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Good morning ladies, I have been sleeping so well, I really think taxol gives me fatigue. I have posted a thread asked about swelling fingertips with numbness from neuropathy, maybe someone here can share what to do. I still have 6 more taxol to do, im hoping to get thought it.
Teese - so happy you finished this chemo train, you are our supporter here. Enjoy the time before rad and eat everything that taste good.
Jen - are you starting rad also??
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I can't wait to be able to sleep through the night again! (I was a solid 7-hour sleeper. Now, I'm up every night, sometimes for two hours!)
I do have rads on my plan, Paulette -- my simulation is Nov. 21. I anticipate starting mid-December -- my last chemo is Nov. 28, so it's just a matter of figuring out how much time in between. My RO wanted three weeks (I think) and I was pushing for two because of a vacation we've since cancelled. Three weeks would put me at a start date of/around Dec. 18.
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Jen - prayers for your infusion today. I have been sleeping well the last couple nights, I used to wake up couple times a night to drink water and bathroom runs.
Hope you work out a good schedule so you can take time off for vacation. You deserve time off to recharge energy.
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For those of us moving into radiation I have talked to several friends who had chemo followed by radiation. Everyone has said I will breeze thru rads! It felt easy for them compared to chemo. I know everyone says there is fatigue but they say it's better then the chemo fatigue! I was also told 3 wks after chemo to start rads. Pushing to start after 2. Off over Xmas break and would like to finish up then so when. My last chemo is next Thursday Nov 2nd.
So far Taxol is much better for me! The bone pain and dryness are my biggest side effects. I only experience the bone aches below my waist and at night when i lay down. Ibuprofen and Young Living Pan Away essential oil mixed with almond oil rubbed onto my legs at bedtime both help with the bone pain. I just experience the bone pain on days 3-5 and then it subsides until next treatment.
I haven't ran for 2wks. I am so slow and have been doing some walking. This week I feel more energized and think I am going to go for a run/walk after work tonight. I love running in the fall and so missing my runs right now.
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And yes Teese I am planning on starting and finishing most of my Xmas shopping in Nov. Dec will be a busy busy month for us!
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Congrats Tesse!!!!!!
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My posts are way too long, I know, but just skip to your name and save yourself a ton of time.
Proud- how's your off week going? Up to anything fun or do you spend it catching up around the house? I think I read you've got some home improvement projects going on. I've decided to straighten a set of cabinets or drawers if not everyday than as often as possible. I did a bunch just before chemo so many are already done. I just need to feel productive.
Travel-we had a guinea pig that we just loved to death, we took so long trying to come up with just the right name that he started to respond to being called "pig". So that ended up his name. We were so thrilled to see he answered to his name, I didn't know they were that smart. Such an adorable pet but they have such a short life span. :-/
LoJo-loved your update, you sound wonderful, your journey is almost over, can't believe it! It seems once we begin to feel better physically, that takes care of most of the mental issues. At least for me, I feel so much better in every way since I started Taxol and am looking forward to this next phase, especially when I read your posts!!!
Runnermum- your Mom group sounds like the best, I'm sure last night was such fun and uplifting. I have a similar group, my Bible study ladies. We meet regularly for lunch and they've called, sent cards, visited. I love them to pieces. And yes I rang the sh++ out of that bell yesterday, it was cathartic for sure. Then I ran in circles with my fists in the air whooping it up. Yes I did! I think I shocked a few of them, but hey, who wants to see someone halfheartedly ring the chemo bell.
Paulette-I said the clinical study was for locally advanced BC, but I was wrong, she had so much info in our visit yesterday I've gotten a few things turned around. The Ibrance study is for any early stage with a high recurrence rate. It's international, so a big study. I just hope I get the drug and not the placebo. I think this will be a real game changer if it works out to be beneficial in survival rates. Fingers crossed.
Sunny- my RO went over the possibility of exacerbation of my lymphedema. I'll just be religious about the sleeve and gauntlet and pump 2-3 times a day and the exercises. That's all I can do, plus pray.
Leatherette-I truly hope we all regroup and recharge btwn chemo and rads. Will you have rads? I'm loosing track of whose doing what? I hope your enjoying this week since you worked extra hard last week, will you still need to go in this week? When's the last infusion, very soon I think?
Jen-I understand the push to start rads as soon as you can, I'm sure they'll accommodate you. My simulation is 11/3 I think, for some reason I didn't put it on my calendar, need to go check my notes. TheRO said he expects I'll have some blistering because I'm so pale (100% Irish, pale, freckled) and I'm going to be prepared. But, ignstead of freaking out I've decided blisters are nothing compared to 8 weeks of AC. I'll go braless, which means lopsided,
but it is what it is. I need to get some loose blousy cotton shirts. What number is today's infusion? Has the fatigue been bad? Pingpong- how's it feel being 6 days PFC? I'm glad you have a nice break before surgery. Keep checking in and giving us updates on post chemo recovery, it gives us such a boost and something to look forward too.
Well that's a ridiculous long post. So you can guess I also love long talks with my friends. My kids say I never have met a stranger because I can talk to anyone and in 15 min can have their life story. They used to hate that, but now I see it's rubbed off on them. Hehehe, that was my sneaky plan all along.
Hugs and prayers
Theresa
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dmjmom- oh no no no, you don't get off that easy with a dry by, we need the nitty gritty! How's life PFC? And rads and everything
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Congrats on finishing, Teese!
I'm still here but lurking. Such a pain to login when I'm reading from my phone. I've moved over to the FB group and am thrilled others have too!
Thanks for having created the group. I've relied on reading everyone's experience throughout all my tretments and have been grateful for the companionship!
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purplestargazer- Its good seeing you on fb. Thanks
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tesse, my off week is quiet, thanks for asking. Friday is back to chemo day. So far i have been lucky to have pals go with me so i do not have to drive home alone. Still not comfie going back and forth by myself
I am lucky to have pals to,go with me, not sure if that will last as long as the chemo
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proud- quiet weeks are good. We have way too many days taken up with appt and other cancer stuff. I cherish my days at home.
Glad you've had friends available for transportation, I know what you mean though. Especially because the premeds make me not so alert, I depend on a drive home too. You may have to get creative if it becomes iffy for a ride. Maybe have a pre made dinner that just needs quick reheating to entice them or a yummy cake with tea if afternoon. Not a bribe but an enticement.
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Ok, no drive by! 😂 Chemo is starting to be just a memory! Last one was four weeks ago tomorrow! Well, there are some things that bring it all back, like looking in a mirror, or running my hands through my hair...uh, stubble and when I leaned over to get something off a low shelf at the grocery store yesterday my nose just turned on like a spigot and fluid rushed out so fast I couldn’t get a tissue to it fast enough! When does the dripping stop? Eyes and nose!
Rads are still easy-peasy compared to chemo. Inconvenient right now because my daughter has a medical issue so I’ve been driving back and forth to help her and have my treatments. Not every day, thank goodness, but when the traffic is good it’s a 4 hour round trip. At the moment, I’m sitting in a hospital waiting room while she has a test run. It’s been 3 hours and 45 minutes. Trying hard to stay awake. As far as I can tell, she is going to be fine. Just have to get there!
I’m interested in the Facebook group, just too tired to look up the details.
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dmjmom- hope your daughter is doing fine and you don’t have to do so much running around. When you’re ready for FB just PM me.
Teese - you have good memory I couldn’t keep track what’s everyone up to and treatment status. From what I read, you didn’t have much neuropathy problem during taxol? I think I’m getting more numbness on my fingers now, I afraid I might not able to finish all 12.
Proud - you and I are going to have chemo on Friday!
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Teese...loved your post about ringing the bell! Made me smile and laugh!! Love it! We deserve to celebrate!
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paulette, yeap join you in the chemo chair!
I used to take books and puzzles to kill the time, then i realized that chattering with my pal killed the time nicely
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Iris - do you bring your friends with you for infusion? They give me Benadryl as soon as it hits my body, I usually sleep, especially lately my body gets more fatigue now. I can sleep easily, not much energy.
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Paulette, my pal that drives me usually provides the entertainment as in talking while i am hooked up! My infusion is only an hour, we have no problem chattering that long. I get benedryl drip also but it does not put me to sleep, just gets me too sleepy to drive home
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proud - my infusion time is about five hours long, so my hubby usually gets me lunch and runs some errands.
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Teese, no plan for rads or hormone therapy for me. I need to make it through chemo and eventual reconstruction, and that's all I know about for now.
I had to go to two meetings this week, but I don't have to work anymore this week unless I feel good. This is my bad week, and I was probably not a pretty sight in my meetings, but I think they went well. My husband drove me to and from and waited for me, and that was all I could handle!
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Leatherette- good luck to your meetings this week, when are you starting radiation?
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Thanks Paulette-I already had my meetings, and I won't be doing any rads. Not in my treatment plan
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i am very fortunate that my infusion is only an hour, good luck to you tomorrow and rest up over the weekend
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Sorry I haven't been on recently I actually lost the link to this forum
congratulations teese finishing your chemo hopefully your side effects aren't too bad. I finished my chemo last Thursday and actually this side effects haven't been near as bad as a third dd taxol. I don't know if that's because my mindsets knowing that I'm now done and I can look to start feeling better again?
So this last one I had to explode the waist but this time I took Claritin and lo and behold it work! Too bad I didn't know that 3 infusions prior! Oh well it's the last one wasn't as bad. I did get nausea and vomiting from the taxol 2 days post infusion period stomach will help some. At least I wasn't nauseous all day. It just came on fairly suddenly and then it went away. We have a bell at our chemotherapy room and boy I certainly did ringgit! I got a little overwhelmed and choked up which I didn't expect so bring some tissues with you when you do ring that Bell you may need them.
Hoping all of you that get chemo this week have minimal side effects and that the next few weeks fly by before you get to ring the bell
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Cangrats tpralph- so happy to see one more person at the finish line. I can’t help to hope I get there soon. Tomorrow is my #7 taxol and slowly I’m getting there.
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