Chemo starting October 2017
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Hi. I'm new to this thread. I actually had first chemo end August, but then developed a wound infection that had to be surgically debrided and closed. 2nd dose was beginning October. 3 week delay on my original dose dense schedule
I've just completed AC. Starting taxol on Wed. 4 doses bi-weekly. Survived AC. Staying on top of nausea meds helped. Its def getting harder bounce back though.
I'm 39. Diagnosed in June. My son is 4.5 and my daughter 22 months. I am constantly afraid I won't be here for them as they grow up. My daughter had chickenpox day I got my 3rd dose so I had to avoid her completely for 10 days. Now she has a chest infection and I have to keep my distance again. We're afraid to take any chances cause I've already had a significant delay. Its tough going mentally isn't it? There was a 9 month delay in diagnosing my cancer as well. I think that plays on my mind a lot.
Anyways, I hope its OK to pop in on this thread too. I'm a bit nervous about the taxol, hoping it goes OK.
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oh, my hair and nails seem to grow between treatments too. So glad I'm not the only one!!!
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Agatha that is such great news! I bet you are so happy! Congratulations!
Eight - I have high blood pressure anyway, but I have definitely had white coat syndrome my last few appointments. It's very common. I wouldn't worry too much about it. You sound like you have a good handle on things, even though they are tougher this time around. I love your positive spirit. Sometimes we have to just give in for a few minutes to that sadness, but as long as we pull ourselves up again, we'll be ok.
My husband is set to go out of town the week of my second treatment. We've asked my mother-in-law to stay with me for those days to help out as I'm understanding a lot of people get hit harder the second treatment. My MIL is a retired nurse and since my own mom passed away 13 years ago, she's been a wonderful help to us when we need her. I am a little scared of treatment two, but hearing all you make it through is hope for me.
Hoping everyone has a nice weekend!
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This is what I do for Constipation 1/2 cup of prune juice then take a tbsp butter melt in microwave mix together... Yum yum huh my taste buds can't taste it because normally I wouldn't eat any butter! Now I just force myself to eat yogurt daily & I've been doing gr8 ON THAT END... Lol
Young: I know rite, I'm 41 with triple - on one side & a different cancer on the otherside.
Anxiety, ya I'm one of those people that hate taking meds or asking for help But talking to my Dr and getting Xanax gosh it helps so much! I don't cry as much & can sleep! Chaching....
My nose keeps feeling stuffed then I blow & it just bleeds this is very uncomfortable, any suggestions (I'm gonna try Ayr today)?
Have I said how lovely of a day it is & how much I enjoy days 5&6!!!!!
Take care all god bless, mmmmmwahhhh
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Stage2ire- that must be so hard staying away from your little one. I know when my daughter was that age, it would have been difficult for both of us!
Eight- I have had white coat syndrome for the past 5 years. I always read 140's or 150's over 80's at doctor/dentist appointments. I have a BP monitor at home and I read fine. Through all this I have actually been reading lower (130's/60's) at doctors appointments. Guess going in so often, I am more relaxed. I am sure when the appointment I switch to taxol, I will be up because I am nervous about it.
Petey- #2 was pretty similar as #1 for me. Chemo early in the week and by the weekend I am just tired. I sleep most of the weekend after. I got constipation and those side effects with #2 that I didn't with #1. But everything else was the same. I hope it is mild for you too!
Julz- I have the bloody nose too but not stuffy. Just the drippy nose which isn't uncommon for me. I live in a bad allergy area. But now my tissues are always blood stained instead of white. You can try the saline sprays up your nose. They usually help me. And I like the more natural solutions than another med. Or claritin since a lot of us (including me) take it a few days for the neulasta bone pain.
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My oldest daughter came in from IU to attend her friend's wedding shower, and I felt well enough to attend as well. It was great seeing everyone, and they were so supportive and loving. It seems that everyone knows one or two or a dozen BC fighters and survivors, so I heard a lot of reassuring stories. I'm so glad I went. The hostess served Chipotle, which was such a treat because it was delish and fit into my crazy diet! I just put chicken over a bed of lettuce, and then added lots of beans, tomatoes, guac and salsa. It was nirvana because I actually tasted most of it! Had to forego the dessert and margaritas, but I tried not to pout.
Afterwards, in the car, I had to have a frank conversation with my 25 year old daughter that she needs to get a mammogram and possibly an MRI in the few months. My father's family is riddled with breast cancer and the youngest was my first cousin, who was diagnosed at 36. The current recommendation is that you should subtract 10 years from that youngest and start there for subsequent generations. So my daughter, who is nearly married and out of college, needs to start worrying about this now. It was a difficult and tearful conversation. I certainly didn't want to scare her, but I tried to impress upon her how critical it is for her to stay on top of this, and to also not rely solely on mammograms. I assured her that BC is very scary, but IS survivable up to 99% if caught early. And I told her that she WILL be getting 3D mammograms and ultra-sounds if she has dense breast tissue like me. I kind of feel misled by the medical community that they don't emphasize how regular mammograms are fairly useless if you have dense breasts.
Julz, my nose is very dry, too. I have been resisting the urge to pick off the hard crusts that are now attached to the inside of my nostrils (sorry if that's graphic), because I figure it's helping keep stuff out of my lungs, since a lot of my nose hairs are gone.
Eight, I went on high blood pressure meds a week before I got diagnosed, so I had to monitor my bp constantly in the first few weeks while my PCP and MO were tweaking my medications. Before I bought one at Costco, I used the bp monitors that you'll find at larger grocery stores w/ pharmacies (Kroger) and stand-alone pharmacies (Walgreens). It might put your mind at ease to pop in every now and then. They advise you to take a few readings over the course of several minutes to try and get an accurate reading, because the results can be (and were for me) +10 if you're out of breath or anxious when you first take it.
This morning, I got on the scale and had gained 3 pounds in 2 days, even though it seems like I'm eating like a bird. I'm going to blame the steroids. I have just 1 more day on them until the last cycle in 2 weeks. I don't believe we get steroids with the half-dose Taxol, but I'm not sure about that.
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Stage2ire, welcome to the boards and congratulations on completing AC. I know how anxious it can be to be diagnosed with BC, especially TN. However, in order to put your mind at ease a little bit, the current ACS figures of beating Stage II BC (all types) is 93%. Those are very, very good odds. And you're so young! So, please, turn your mindset from "I'm going to leave my kids." to "I'm going to survive this."
P.S. In fact, the odds are strongly in our favor for ALL stages up until Stage IV. And even then, there are a ton of really promising treatment options that are still in their infancy and available ONLY to Stage IV patients. One or two of them is bound to work, which gives new hope for ALL cancer patients, not just BC patients. I'm very hopeful for the future.
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eight out of, " white coat syndrome is literally that your BP is up when you see the dr ( white coat being lab coat) as you're anxious, and is therefore an inaccurate reading. So going in for chemo or anything medical can have the same effect. It would be better called white coat effect rather than syndrome. Hope that reassures you!
I have had a few issues with first tmt. The dry nose Ive been seeing some of you have. What solutions do you have. Ive tried few a saline nose spray at night but it's not helping now. Ive had a pain upper stomach but no acid reflux, felt like something stuck there all the time and got progressively worse. Even drinking water felt hard to get down and would wake me up. My MO has put me on nexium for gastritis and mylanta until it kicks in. I'm a registered nurse so had stupidly diagnosed myself with an oesophageal stricture.... see your doctor don't self diagnose!!! Ive ended up in hospital with febrile neutropenia. Here in Australia on AC you have to prove your neuts have dropped to qualify for neulasta for subsequent rounds. Do you get it first dose in America? So my routine day 12 blood test neuts were 0 . I was able to stay at home in isolation for a couple of days but then didn't like the look of one of my mouth ulcers. When I got to emergency my temp was up ( hadn't been at home) . So enforced rest which Is not a bad thing. Mouth ulcers. I may definitely going to suck ice during the doxi. My neuts we're 0.1 yesterday, day 16. Not sure I feel I'll get next tmt on time. My last should be 22 dec and I didn't want ant play plans disrupted. Sorry about the moan
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binniebin, hope you get your treatment on time. Delays so frustrating. I was delayed 3 weeks between 1st and 2nd dose, knocked me way off schedule. Fingers crossed your wbc will recover. Apparently folate helps with white cell production. If you can get dark green veg, kale, broccoli and apparently Brussels sprouts the best. Maybe try juicing it to get max benefit. Can be hard if your not feeling good though. I eat so much sugar and fries these days. I try get a green smoothie in when I can though.
I get neulasta after every dose here in Ireland. Bloody injection hurts going in and I do get bone pain but I'm hoping it works!
Lisarx, thanks so much. I try focus on the positive stats, but find mid cycle I suffer this awful emotional crash. Thinking its effect of chemo, steroids etc but my mind goes down a rabbit hole on those days. I'm glad I've started posting here. I find the loneliness hard, it helps coming on here and knowing people can understand the aches, pains, fears etc.
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Here in the states, we get Neulasta after every AC treatment. I haven't missed a treatment yet, but I am noticing that I'm more tired after round 3.
Stage2ire, I do understand your pains and fears. And I'm glad you are here, sharing this crazy journey with us. It's like nourishment for the soul. Now put down those fries, and eat your kale!
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My MO said Neulasta after fourth cycle of chemo, if needed.
Question. You ladies know way more than me on what to avoid when immuno compromised. I’m 10 days out of treatment #1. I’m on a 21 day cycle. I want to go out to the barn and watch my daughter ride. It’s a show barn. Swept. Kept tidy. Yes? No?
Also. To the theatre to watch a movie? My four walls are pretty boring.
I feel well. Just a little fuzzy headed.
Thoughts?
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Hi Sara, I'm so glad that you're up to going out. I never attended chemo classes or anything, but I'm trying to use common sense. During days 1-5 after chemo, I try to keep a lower profile because I know my wbc is at its lowest point. Last night I was at a shower, and socialized, but was on the watch out for any sneezy, drippy, coughing people, and stayed away from them. I waved goodbye instead of giving hugs. Before I ate, I washed my hands. I tried to keep my hands out of my mouth.
I also keep a travel size bottle of Purel and anti-bacterial wipes with me, which I'll use before using a grocery cart, etc.
But other than that, I'm trying to live my life as normally as I can, when I can. I meet with friends for lunch or a visit a few times a week, but ask them to please cancel if they're not feeling well. I think that laughing and enjoying yourself is as essential for your well-being as getting through those chemo treatments. I absolutely wouldn't hesitate to go see my daughter ride, or go to a movie. I might wipe down the arm rests with some antibacterial wipes before I sat down, but I'd absolutely go.
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For dry nose and nose bleeding.......
I use Arya gel at night and day time, meanwhile I use ocean saline spray. Also I have humidifier in my bedroom. Try not to blow your nose after week or so your nose should be fine. I have bad case of nose blended couple weeks ago due to dry air in California and I even went to see ear nose specialist. That’s what he suggested also.
Nose will drip because we lost most of the nasal hair. Ki hope this will help.
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joyseeker, i usually wear a mask when i go out up until day 14. especially where i am there's more people getting sick during rainy season. safest is i avoid crowded times for malls, etc and still wear a mask and load up on vitamin c all the time. and i have hand sanitizer or isoprophyl alcohol in a small spray bottle. but the mask is important. Sometimes i only go out day 15onwards
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Hi, everyone.
I'm a little confused. I am under the impression our immune systems are at their best just following infusion/Neulasta shot and the dangerous days were 10 - following treatment on day 14. I just spoke about it with my MO yesterday because she was a little concerned about my head cold if it lasts more than another week since I'll be more immuno-compromised then. Also she gave me the go-ahead to get my brows micro-bladed but only if it was within the first 4 days after therapy. Maybe that's because the specific chemo I'm having, or addition of Neulasta? Maybe every chemo protocol has a different nadir.
I live in NYC and take public transportation and pretty much can't avoid throngs of people at any point during my day :-) I haven't worn a mask yet, but carry one with me in case I'm sitting near a cougher on the train. I also Purell and Lysol wipe as much as I can. Yesterday my little upstairs neighbor asked me to come to her classroom for "special friends day" activities. I admit I was more afraid of germs packed in with a bunch of 3rd graders than I am out on the streets :-)
Stage2Ire - My heart broke for you when I heard that you had to stay away from your little one when she was sick. All those delays must have been awful. I'm glad you've joined us - it's a nice supportive group. Good luck with the Taxol! I start my Taxol December 1 and i'm nervous, too.
With the cold I mentioned above I also have had bleeding every time I blow my nose. It's gotten a TON better since I set up the humidifier in my bedroom. I usually wait until it's really dry in there from my radiator heating in winter but I dug it out early. Also saline mists and Ayr just inside my nostrils. Aquaphor is nice, too. Also Puffs Super Soft tissues.
So far so good after AC#3. No nausea or signs of constipation or mouth sores. Bones are achey from the Neulasta as usual. I'm really hoping I have a good cycle because I need to spend a lot more time at work. They've been so great about my taking days off or leaving early if I hit a wall in the afternoon. Things are starting to fall behind and it's stressing me out a bit.
Have a great Sunday everyone!
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AgathaNYC In my 21 day cycle I thought my lowest immune days were the middle 7. My NP says “you still have fighter cells day 1-5” That would be consistent with what you are saying ☺️
I went to the movie. Bad Moms Christmas. Totally inappropriate but so good to have a big belly laugh. And I had a delicious raspberry yogen fruz. Small joys!!
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agathanyc, I was also told WBC at its best day of chemo, then starts dropping about 5-7 days later then starts coming back up. I usually try avoid sick people or places where I might be at risk those days. Iwear gloves outside and carry anti bacterial spray. Lot of hand washing and I wear a mask in our house cause my little girl has been sick. I pretty much ran away from a coughing kid in our local supermarket recently lol.
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glad you enjoyed the movie joyseeker. Did you go see your daughter ride too? I'm hoping to get to see a movie soon with my husband. We love them but haven't been in months
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Agatha, you may be correct as I never had any discussions with my team re WBC except as it relates to my diet. The website that they have listed on my paperwork, ChemoCare, lists Adriamycin as having a nadir (lowest point for WBC) at 10-14 days...but I get an infusion every 14 days, along with a Neulasta shot, so I have no idea what to make of that. I know that Days 4 and 5 are usually my low energy days, but that could be because I'm being weaned off those steroids. I usually feel pretty good during week 2, so I assume my WBC is higher, but I could be wrong.
In any event, here is what the Neulasta website says about reducing the chance of infection:
During strong chemo, you may be at risk for infection. There may be ways you can help protect yourself. Here are some things you can do:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. This is especially important after you use the toilet and before cooking and eating.
- Avoid people who have diseases—such as colds or the flu—that you can catch.
- Clean cuts and scrapes right away with warm water and soap. Cover with a bandage. Ask your doctor and care team if using antibiotic creams is right for you.
- Avoid crowds where germs can be rampant.
- Be careful not to cut or nick yourself. Use an electric shaver instead of a razor. Wear protective gloves when gardening or cleaning to avoid cuts and scrapes.
Below is the link to this website's recommendations, which are pretty much the same, with the addition of a few things such as swimming, mosquitoes, and food prep:
http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/side_effects...
I, personally, don't have a mask, but I think it makes a lot of sense on subways, etc.
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I'm on a two weekly cycle too. Though between dose 2 and 3 there was only 12 days. My oncologist said I was cutting it close regarding WBC but luckily they were high enough. Not so sure they would be now. I've a cold and due in Wed for 1st Taxol. Praying it is OK by then
Anyone been having difficulty sleeping? I've suffered from insomnia over the years but find it much worse these days. Its been worse this cycle and I think my periods are coming to a stop as wellso wondering if its all connected......or just stress!!
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Lisa- I want to scream from the rooftops telling women with dense breasts to get ultrasounds! No doctor ever suggested I get one. I had 5 yearly mammograms, I paid the extra $75 for 3D one's when they came available and my insurance didn't cover it. My insurance didn't cover the ultrasound during diagnosis and it was less than $450. Not cheap but if I would have known, I would have paid for it. The MRI was $4000, so that is another story. We talked last night with one of my SIL who had breast cancer a few years ago. She didn't need chemo/radiation. But did have a double MX. She has excellent insurance with only a $200 deductible (mine is $4000). But she pays for her PET each year at $4000 since it's not covered.
As WBC. I thought with the 2 week cycle at least. Nadir was 7-10 days. I know in first round I was tested on day 8 and my WBC was .6 (normal is 4.4 and up). I try to be careful those days. By day 11-14, I am pretty do whatever. I do try to avoid large crowds though. Yesterday we started with swim lessons, ran errands, out to lunch, haircuts for husband and daughter...since they have hair
The first time I have done a normal weekend day since chemo started. I had my wig on but it felt weird. Still trying to get it to look as good as it did in the wig shop and not feel like I have a mop on my head.I really want to see Bad Moms (and the Daddy's Home movie). I never went to movies much before all this though. Especially a non-kids movie.
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Jennifer522 Go to the movie it such a good belly laugh / stress relief!!
It would make sense that the low days would be those days where I sleep all day. So now that I’m back to doing all my things with pretty good energy I’m going to assume my counts are on the way up. I’ll be off to the barn today to watch Julie ride.
We have so much snow here. 20cm. And it’s -20 C here this morning. I think other than the barn I will knit, drink tea and sit in front of the fireplace. The snow is beautiful! The sparkly diamond kind, but it sure does limit my trips to town.
I wish I was on a two week cycle like the rest of you. Still a bit of a wait until mu next infusion (Nov. 16)
Be well all,
Sara
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Hi ladies,
If anyone is having a " Why me Lord?" This link really helped me. Let's keep fighting and supporting each other to make it through November.
christigee.com/5-things-go-through-valley/
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DKK , thank you for the link.
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DKK- thank you I really needed this today!!!
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I was in the May chemo group, and am just popping in to share something that might be helpful to someone in your group. I shared with the November group as well, so this is copy/pasted from there.
I don't know if any of you do your grocery shopping at WalMart, but if you do, this may be helpful to you. Some of their stores now offer free curbside pickup. You do your shopping online and choose a pickup time. They email you when your order is ready, and you go to pick it up. I just did it, and I didn't even have to get out of my car! They have an app you can download that lets you check in when you are on your way, and it uses your phone's GPS to calculate your arrival time. I used that, and almost as soon as I parked, the guy brought my order out, had me sign digitally, and loaded my car up. I'm sure you could have someone else pick up for you, as well. They didn't ask for ID or anything, just for the name on the order.
I'm having some painful peeling under my breasts from radiation, so I can't wear a bra. The idea of grocery shopping bra-less just doesn't appeal to me, so a friend suggested this. He actually intended for me to do the order online, then he would go pick it up, but I wanted to do it myself. I LOVE that this removes the need to depend on anyone...that's such a big deal to me. I really wish this had been available when I was doing chemo - I would have used it the whole time. Every time I went grocery shopping, I worried about getting sick from germs on the carts, people sneezing/coughing around me, etc. I know other stores do it, too, but they are usually more expensive. Anyway, I hope this is helpful information to someone!
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Thanks for the link, DKK. I'm having a really low energy weekend. Yesterday, I was able to muster up the energy for a walk but today I'll admit that I'm pretty down.
lovepugs, I've been using Kroger Click List, which is similar to Walmart's, for about a year now. It's a great convenience. It's free for the first 3 or 4 visits at Kroger, then $5 after that. I don't mind paying.
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Happy Monday Ladies,
Today I'm off to AC #3 and not looking forward to it.
It seems that infusion day is fine, day 2 I feel like Superwoman and days 3 and 4 I crash abysmally. Sleep, brain fog, bone pain and nausea are the SES that haunt me.
Met with my Onc last Friday for portdraw and checkup. The tumor is shrinking - measured at 4.4cm, down from 6.6 so something is working-thats after only 2 infusions. They gave me a new prescription for nausea - Zofran. Anyone think this is better than compazine?
My worst bone pain is in my pelvis- they said that's because you have so much bone marrow in that part of your body. Neulasta is doing its thing.
So, with this good news, my new mantra is " no pain, no gain".
Pressing on and powering through.
Everybody have a good week
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Off to round #4 y'all! Weekend went well I had a dog show to go to & was thankful most my hair stayed in but it's about 80% gone this morning
oh well if it's the $ for my life it's very hard but I'm ok with it! I think my husband will buzz it after chemo, I need to buy some head scarfs. I use zofran on day 3 & I do fine with it but I also alternate with compazine.
God bless all of u mmmmmwahhhh
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Off to round #4 y'all! Weekend went well I had a dog show to go to & was thankful most my hair stayed in but it's about 80% gone this morning
oh well if it's the $ for my life it's very hard but I'm ok with it! I think my husband will buzz it after chemo, I need to buy some head scarfs. I use zofran on day 3 & I do fine with it but I also alternate with compazine.
God bless all of u mmmmmwahhhh
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