Chemo starting December 2017
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JVP...I’m not sure where it needs to be to warrant a blood transfusion. I was at 9 at my preop for lumpectomy. I had no idea it was low, I didn’t find out until surgery day. By then, a week later, it had dropped to 7.3. My surgery was almost delayed, but they had blood on board ready to go just in case. The anesthesiologist worked her magic and I made it through surgery. The next day I followed up with my MO and was at 7. I couldn’t walk 3 steps without being dizzy, out of breath and heart pounding. I was as pale as a sheet of paper. The transfusion was like filling up the tank! My husband could see the color returning halfway through the first unit. Now that I know the symptoms of it being that low, I won’t wait. First time, it wasn’t long after my 4th AC and I just thought it was normal, cumulative butt kicking. 😊. Hoping we hold steady.
Laura, no neuropathy for me yet. #3 was yesterday, so we shall see. I’m sure it’s esoeci difficult for you. Piano is your happy place! Good vibes that it doesn’t get any worse for you.
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JVP I'll private message you to get your fb user name and I can add you to this other group I'm on for young women with breast cancer. I really like it a lot. I'm not kidding it helps I have met so many amazing ladies. I love this group and that one on fb the most. I am glad you are pulling yourself together I know it's so hard and such a struggle. I have my bad days too then I get online and talk to the ladies current warriors and survivors and it's so hard helpful.
I am icing my fingers and toes during infusion. Are you guys icing??? It is helping with the neuropathy for sure. So far I am good there hopefullymit stays like that.Taxol #3 yesterday. Port again wasn't working they couldn't get the blood to draw back before or after. So annoying. Then port and skin inside and out got irritated so they had to poke me several times. But I'm good today and in good spirits 💪💪💪
Ooh but they had to lower my Taxol dose due to my stupid liver enzymes being elevated. It was frustrating. I really didn't want them to lower it I want these nasty cells killed with as much power as possible lol. 😂😂😂
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Paisley2917,
Sorry just saw your post so I’m posting another reply again lol. So glad you are done with AC!! Most of us there hated AC. I know I DID LOL. it was so bad and the side effects were awful.
I did Taxol #3 yesterday and I must admit it’s been soooo much easier than AC. No nausea here whatsoever. NONE it’s amazing. Steroids amount sucks it’s more steroids for me and Benadryl.what I do is afterninfusikn I come home take a good nap and then feel good. Able to eat drink and function. It’s so nice compared to what I was going through. Ac had me down for 6 days straight.
Drink plenty of water/fluids before and after throughout the day and weekend it helps flush out all the medicine. The biggest side effect for me has been the headache. I get a headache Saturday and usually drink coffee and then I’m good. Sunday is worse as far as headaches. I am trying not to take Tylenol or anything Bc my liver enzymes are super high so they are watching that. Other side effects slight aches, heart rate is higher for sureso I monitor that by measuring my BP daily.
No neuropathy for me yet. I am icing my toes and my fingers. My oncologist actually requires this. They have dry ice packs at my infusion center that they give me. They put it over the feet over my socks and put a glove over it to hold it in place. The fingers I just hold onto the ice packs. If thy don’t have those at your infusion center I can recommend some which were recommended to me that you can purchase over amazon. But I didn’t since they have them and they are free.
It’s totally doable. Do not be scared I know I was freakin out my first two times but when I noticed I wasn’t getting nauseated it wasn’t great and I honestly didn’t even even have to take my Xanax before it’s so much easier for me.
If you have any more questions about it or anything else please let us know. Feel free to PM me too I will be more than happy to chat with you like many did with me! 💖💖
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Daniz, are you taking zofran/ ondansetron still when you get the headaches? One of the side effects is headaches. It seemed to start causing pretty bad headaches for me after taking it for a few days. I realized I didn't need to be taking it for 5 days and now that I take it for 2-3 days I'm not getting the headaches anymore. I'm pretty sure chemo causes headaches in general too but I thought I'd mention it
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JVP, I’m not taking any of those meds anymore. I now thanks to the LORD have zero nausea. I’m only taking steroids night before and day of chemo. Then cemo day they give me anti nausea in the port and Benadryl. They did tell me that Taxol and the steroids can cause the stupid headaches. First week I took Tylenol and it helped but now I’m not taking anything. Just gonna try to power through it. Lol but you are right I used to take the zofran and gosh the headaches from that were terrible
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Daniz1983, Thanks so much for your reply! My MO office doesn't push for icing hands and feet. I asked my MO about it and he said there's no evidence that it helps, but if I feel better doing it to go ahead. I'd like to do it, since it's worth a shot if it helps! Why not? Can you tell me where to purchase the ice packs? I'm not sure what type to get....
Thanks so much!!!
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Paisley: Below is my posting about neuropathy from another thread. I found a distinct difference between my MO advice and the PA/nurses, especially regarding icing. Lot of women are improvising, rather than spending a lot of money on special gloves and boots. I also strongly believe that taking the supplements is helping and I intend to take them afterwards, as well.
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I am icing before, during and after my Taxotere infusion and my center does not have ice. I have large, 8" x 11" flexipaks (gel-based cooler paks) from when I was a "team mom" for my boys' athletics. I bring 5-6 of them in an insulated bag, each in a ziplock. My husband wraps them around my feet using hand towels and secures them with heavy duty plastic clothes pins. I switch from having my feet on top of the pak and putting the paks on top of my feet because they get my feet very cold. For my hands, I make a "sandwich" by layering my hands and the packs. Then I switch off when the cold is too much. I think the general idea is to keep the overall temperature low so the taxotere doesn't flow to the tips.
My PA also recommended taking two supplements to counter nerve/cell damage in general. They are alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnitine. I have been using them since my 3rd cycle and I think my hands and feet feel much less painful. My PA said to keep taking them after chemo as well, because the neuropathy can take a while to go away (some women have it years later) and the supplements help build back the nerves. The idea of permanent neuropathy freaks me out so I'm trying everything.
Another thing to consider: my neuropathy was VERY painful at the start and my MO dropped my taxotere concentration by 10% after my 2nd cycle. When I asked, he said that they calculate dosages based on factors like age, weight and general health (I was in pretty good shape when DX). Then they give the highest dose that doesn't give the "average" person unacceptable side effects. So, I guess they maxed me out and only dialed it back because of the neuropathy. They assured me that my dose was still high enough to kill everything.
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Hope this helps.
Mindy
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Hello all - I’ve done six as my 12 taxol now, and the tiredness is becoming a very serious side effect. Day three and four I feel like I am carrying 100 pound backpack and also wearing exercise weights on my arms and legs. No pain, no nausea but tired so that walking across the house leaves me breathless. I feel so old and I am only 41 the end of the month. It’s so hard to ever feel rested and caught up, and then it is time for the next dose. Fingers crossed for my blood test Monday.
JVC - it sounds really tough. I keep getting discouraged that I'm down and scared AGAIN when I feel like I've already been through sorting it out in my head. Or something that was OK, goes south. I am trying to see that none of it is over until it is all over. Which is depressing because I feel like I'm not making any progress, but I tell myself we are all moving forward and counting down treatments . Sorry to hear number three for so bad and I hear you about the fear for the next one. The mental challenge is real and it seems to get harder not easier. Glad you could tell us.
Laura - The neuropathy sounds debilitating and scary. My fingers and toes are increasingly numb (day 5 does seem worst, as someone else said), but my oncologist seems to think an important threshold is if it prevents me from holding a pen and writing. I hope that you can do this easily, because she didn't seem worried if I wasn't at that point. On the emotional side, the [temporary?] disability is so sad (& scary). For me it is the cognitive side and it worries me that I won't be able to finish my PhD and resume work at the University. It feels like an important loss of self.
Hariry- thank you for your upbeat posts.
Siara
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Good evening, ladies. My, we're a quiet bunch. I'd hate to think it's because we're all buried under either SE or the latest snowstorm.
I am on Day 5 of Cycle 5/6 and I was hoping to escape the "almost done" SE and mental desperation, but I'm starting to worry about Cycle 6. My MO tried to make a joke about "this is when many patients start to try to negotiate an end"; I told him I didn't know negotiation was an option. For a brief, shining moment, I was imagining that I could be done THAT DAY. For me, the neuropathy and diarrhea has really started to pile up and my taste buds/mouth feel like they've been scalded. Mentally I crave all kinds of savory foods but it all tastes like metal. Mostly bland stuff works for me, oatmeal, nuts, yogurt; but Big D is still a problem Days 2-7. I'm open to any suggestions.
GenevaC, I hope your blood test came through OK and you can continue. I feel the same way about feeling old. I don't know what you're doing about exercise, if anything, but the experts are right in my case. Working out, swimming and yoga have helped me fight the fatigue. Or maybe I just don't notice the fatigue for a while. I'm definitely moving slowly.
Daniz, way to go on the nausea. That must be a mental load off your mind. Sometimes the anticipation is worse than the actual med.
Hugs to everyone.
Mindy
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I just finished my 4th and final round of taxol. I take B6 and l-glutamine dail for the neuropathy. Everything feels like it's moving very fast now. I meet with plastic surgeon tomorrow, breast mri on Friday and surgeon consult next week. Then double mastectomy with reconstruction April 9th.
I'm so sorry to hear that some of you had the taxol nose bleeds. I'm not sure if it helped or if I just didn't have that SE but I use a humidifier at night.
Keep strong ladies, you are warriors and I respect the drive it takes to travel this journey. I'm going to head over to the surgery thread to find out what I'm in for now. I just ordered two zip up camisoles with pockets/slots for drain tubes. I guess my insurance will pay for them. Take car
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I'm putting on weight and my face is towards full moon shape. I'm blaming the steroid. May I know is everyone getting dexamethasone after taxol? If not I'll skip it.
My hair started to grow I was surprised.
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hi ladies, I'm terrified about this neuropathy. My second and third toes on my left foot are numb and hard to move and have gotten significantly worse in the last 4 days. My fingers are not improving, but not getting worse. I started taking 300 mg of B6 every day I will also start L-glutamate powder as soon as I can get out of my house - this was recommended by one of the nurses. I want to stop the Taxol. My husband wants me to finish the Taxol treatments. He says we've come so far... My MO has postponed my next treatment for 2 weeks. I guess I could try one more and do the ice packs an pray it doesn't get worse. I wish I could talk to someone who could tell me for sure. My MO never even mentioned the icing. I wish I had done that on the first two Taxol. I wish I had taken the B6 and L-glutamate before. I feel so stupid; that I've screwed up. I've been praying a lot.0 -
Laura644, I'm so sorry for the stress this is causing you. I feel the same way about neuropathy and want to do everything I can to keep any from becoming permanent. You haven't screwed up because we're all so different in how we react to chemo. You can only choose to do what you believe is the next right thing in front of you.
That said, remember that we would expect SE to peak during and just after treatment. Then, as the chemicals get cleared out, hopefully the SE will diminish. So, you may be experiencing the worst now and will find that what you are doing now will help in the long term. You're probably not going to know until after the taxol is done and now that you're in the middle of treatment, you may not want to trade additional "insurance" against recurrence for ending the short-term neuropathy. In a post a couple spots above this, I list two supplements that my PA recommended which support health and rebuilding of the nerves damaged by neuropathy. As with many vitamins and supplements, they may not reach their full protection until they build up in your body. I'm struggling to be patient and wait for the end of my chemo to see what happens. The supplements you're taking now also should support nerve health.
I hope you can take a deep breath and choose your next right step.
"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
Mindy
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Laura, you haven't screwed anything up. The hard truth is there's really not enough evidence for any specific supplements to say that they work and are interaction free and the best anyone can say is there's some things that should be studied more. If it's any consolation, I think B6 is relatively common in food and it looks like so is glutamine (it's in meat/ dairy). https://examine.com/supplements/glutamine/ Also, is that the dose of B6 the nurse recommended? I would trust medical professionals obviously but wanted to say be careful with B6 because it's toxic at high doses and can actually cause neuropathy. I hope you find some relief in the extra week off.
Dani- I had no idea when you said no nausea you really meant NO nausea. That's awesome!
GenevaC- You summed it up pretty well. I know I still have a lot of things to deal with and I think in a year, I probably still will. It gets frustrating sometimes. I also feel super old. I'm sure it's the anemia but I can't get up the steps without getting winded and my leg muscles hurting. I at least hope it's the anemia and not heart damage from herceptin. It's so frustrating wanting to exercise to try to keep my heart in shape but failing to do even the most basic of movements without getting severely winded.
Diveslikeagirl- this might be obvious but are you taking Loperamide (immodium) for the diarrhea? We're on mostly the same drugs and it seems to control it for me pretty well though I've see stories where others don't have the same luck. I've seen an additional prescription med people are sometimes prescribed as well so maybe check with your dr if it's not working. Citrus seems to always taste good to me. Oranges, squeezing lemon/ lime juice on anything that might make sense or basically anything flavored like any of them. I'm also really into maple syrup (former grade b, dark robust/strong maple syrup specifically). I eat oat bran with maple syrup & brown sugar & full fat or 2% greek yogurt every morning and it always seems to taste good. Really like the tanginess of the greek yogurt as well.
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Hello ladies. I had Taxol 4/12 wohoo 8 more to go. WE CAN DO THIS!!! Yesterday I did have tingling in my arm. Not my fingers or my toes but my arm up to my elbow it was weird. I don’t think it was actually neuropathy but I’m not 100% sure. I am icing feet and hands religiously MO and even my breast surgeon recommended it so I am doing it and I feel like it helps. Of course I do th want to say zero neuropathy bc I still have 8 more treatments so I am just praying there isn’t no energy of it. I mean not taking any supplements I may ask about I think next time.they did have to lower my Taxol dose slightly due to my liver enzymes being soooo high. They are somewhat more normal now. We will see. Otherwise I am feelin great. Can’t say I have no side effects but they are nothing compared to that AC!!
LAURA, I am so sorry the neuropathy has been so difficult maybe the break will be good for you. I really hope and pray the supplements help and honestly I would just say tart icing NOW you can give it a try it’s just ice. Just put it over your sock on the feet and then a latex glove over to hold in place and on your hands just hold your hands over. No glove they say that’s due to frostbite if there is a glove holding it. Do notmblame yourself. Give it try from now on and talk to your doctor. Try not to give up the treatment now we have come a long long way for that!!! I know you can do it I know you can. You handled AC like a champ and completed it you are a strong beautiful woman if they maybe just tweak your dosage maybe that would help if it’s really bad I know someone else who had that.
SWEWING, CONGRATULATIONS GIRL ON FINISHING!!!!!!!! THATS AMAZING!! 🎉🎉🎉💖💖 good luck with your surgery and planning of that and prepping for that. I’m slowing interning plastic surgeons as well just trying to look ahead and prep for that. Keeps my mind sometimes occupied when I have something else to plan and look forward to. May I ask you a question about your surgery decision please. Are you doing implants? If so are you doing Above muscle or under muscle implants? Are you sparing your nipple? I don’t think I will spare the nipple but want to hear what others are doing etc. have you decided on shape of implant? Sorry to ask so many ? But I love to know other people’s decisions.
Oh also MO said yesterday doing a lumpectomy with radiation is same as mastectomy. I just found this crazy idk why and I know she is the professional with the degree LOL but it got my mind all screwed up and now I feel like my firm decision on a double mas slightly got altered. This process really sucks and is so hard. I’m not even finished treatment or anything and honestly I’m already freaking out about reoccurrence. It’s so crazy and sooo mental. 😢🙁
HARIRY, sorry to hear about the puffy mess but I am getting it too in my face. I HATEEE these damn steroids. I take Dex 5pills at night and 5 in morning before chemo. I hate it. It’s about 40-50 mg’s. It’s a ton I feel like but that’s it. MO said after yesterday (I haven’t had any reaction to Taxol) to stop the morning Dex. So only 5 the night before. Then she will wean me off those when I’m up to Taxol #7 she said.
JVP, how are you doing? How man more do you have?
Hugs to all
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Hey everyone!
Swewing, so glad to h at from you! I’ve been wondering how you are doing.
Hariry, the only steroid I get is during Taxol+Herceptin infusion with my premeds. Nothing else before or after. I am putting on weight, though. I’m sure it’s just because my appetite is more regular now. During AC I’d go DAYS with eating next to nothing.
Had taxol #4 yesterday. Was feeling pretty crappy going in. Wednesday I got full on sick with nausea and vomiting. No fun. That happened only once with AC, but slight nausea has been daily for me now. Yesterday at infusion I found out that my white count was down to 2.2 and total neutrophils 1100. Not so good. MO proceeded with treatment and we’ll see how it is next week. May have to add a shot of Neulasta or Neupogen. This answers why I was feeling low...Right now, since I slept off the Benadryl yesterday, the steroid high has kicked in. My sweet husband put a stop to my house cleaning. I didn’t want to stop, but I’m sure I’ll be better off for it later. 😊
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Laura - I agree with others above, you haven’t screwed up. SE are unpredictable. And I hope your neuropathy clears up.
Swewing - all the best with the next phase. Come back and let us know how you are - and thanks for starting this thread!
Dark13 - where are you?
I had a freak out last Sunday night, not feeling able to see this through to the end. Called a few friends and soaked up their support. I just can’t seem to get enough rest with 2 little kids, but my husband insisted since I keep nearly failing blood tests. Another friend with teens (no little kids) took me in for 2 nights, and i behaved like a teenager. Slept late, walked the dog and napped. Very restorative. Just 4 taxol left. It feels manageable now. Mostly.
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Daniz1983 - I’m having bilateral mastectomy and getting tissue expanders under the muscle. I think I’m going with saline implants. Not nipple sparing, trying to get rid of as much breast tissue as possible, hoping not to have to go through this again.
Mjb1018 - hang in there
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Chin up Laura... My MO used to tell me that most patients with neuropathy only suffer temporarily. Even though we know this "temporary" is hard.
Mjb Daniz, I was given intravenous dexamethasone 8mg as premed if I m not wrong. That urge me to swallow a big bowl of noodle soup after chemo. Tomorrow would be my#4 taxol. And I have not been menstruating since the first one. What about you girls?
Gentle hugs to everyone, and happy Easter in advance!
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Hariry, I suffer from pretty bad hormonal migraines, so I'm on continuous birth control, only having a period every 3-4 months anyway...That being said, I made myself have one last week, ha ha. I felt horrible with headache, but it was the very lightest of light...
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Hariry, oh that’s pretty good. 8mg is a lot but it’s not that bad. I am taking 20mg at night and 20mg in the morning so total 40mg of Dex. It’s insane and I’m so annoyed bc I have been putting my on weight and craving everything. But this Friday will be Taxol #5 for me and I get to reduce my steroids to 20mg.
As far as periods I haven't had one this month. I had one last month in Feb. This month I haven't had any it’s probably stopped. Which is driving me crazy bc I'm also having waaaaay more hot flashes. I'm freaking 34 years old and feel like I'm going into menopause already and have major hot flashes, this is just BS!!! 😔
Ok I'm done venting. Swewing, Good luck with your surgery!! I’m doing the same thing no nipple preservation but I think I’m gonna do silicone implants. Hope it goes well.
Has anyone heard of the Look good feel better class? I'm doing it this Wednesday and I'm super excited. I hear they show you how to do your eyebrows and give you some good pointers and make up samples and really should be fun.
Have a good day ladies!
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hi ladies- haven’t posted in a while as I’m preparing for surgery so moved over to that thread. Was thinking about you, so I came back to catch up and send good vibes as you are approaching the end of your chemo treatments.
One most after my last treatment most of my side effects have finally stopped, with only a couple of minor, yet super annoying ones remaining. My energy level still isn’t back and my eyebrows thinned even more. Thankfully a few stubborn ones are still hanging on, giving me a shape to fill in with brow pencil. Also- my eyes randomly tear up and flow down my face at the mostly inopportune times and it’s not because I’m crying. My onc said it’s a normal side effect but if it persists I’ll need to see a specialist.
After my first chemo, I had my period once a week for 3 weeks and all were very heavy. Haven’t had one since then. My oncologist said it’s normal and may not return for 6 months, if it comes back at all. Apparently I have gone into “chemo-pause” with the dreaded hot flashes and all. I was on birth control for years and stopped after diagnosis since I'm hormone and progesterone positive. After my surgery I'll start tomoxofin, which can also affect menstration so who knows if it will ever return, not as if I’m complaining!
Daniz- I did the LGFB class. It was helpful and I came away with a huge bag full of make up. Go in with a clean face and they will walk the group through make up application to hide the chemo side effects and highlight your beautiful face. Enjoy it!
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LAMinders...Do you have eyelashes? I lost mine and figured that's why my eyes water all the time. This morning, I tried to "fill in" my brows, but there isn't much of a guide left, so I don't think I did a very good job. It was easier when they were just thin...I may just go without.
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Yes, drawing on eyebrows when the hair is sparse or gone isn't easy for me! Yesterday, I looked in the mirror as I left the bathroom at work and noticed my brows were 2 different lengths and thickness... UGH. I feel like a clown sometimes.
Yes, my eyelashes seem to have stayed, although when I apply mascara, I feel they are a little more sparse too. I think the tearing is actually due to dry eyes, although I don't have any other dry eye symptoms.
The hair on my legs is growing back, and I have a few that grow under each of my armpits. I enjoyed not shaving for a few months! Now if only the hair on my head would start growing back, I would be really happy! I'll probably start taking biotin after surgery to see if I can speed up the process.
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Mindy, so glad to "see" you back. Because of you, I've signed up for the Look Good class. Did you wear much makeup before Dx? I don't and I'm wondering how jarring it's going to look after I'm all "made up." But I look at myself with no eyebrows, pale skin and dark circles under my fatigued eyes and think, it could only help. I was always a tomboy and never really sat down with my mom to do girly stuff like makeup.
So envious of you finished with your chemo and sending you lots of positive thoughts for your surgery. Just one more "full round" for me and I'm literally hanging on by my fingernails. As in, the dark lines have started showing up but so far no lifting of the nail. My taste buds gave up too and I don't think they're going to come back in between rounds as in the past.
JVP: thanks for the ideas on the food. When I read your post, it reminded me that citrus IS one of the flavors that I can taste. I paid attention the other day while eating a salad and it seems that citrus, sour (pickles) and other savory (onions and garlic) tastes still come through. So I'm going to work with that.
Hang in there:
the other Mindy
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Hello my lovlies warm hugs from the Caribbean as per usual. Tomorrow is Taxol#7 for me and I must say the tiredness is a bitch. It is cumulative so I guess the tiredness is going to get worse. I am having trouble sleeping and have been taking Xantax (not sure I spelt it correctly). I am also taking demax(the steriod) as my pre treatment medicine. The headaches are awful. Day3/4 after the treatment are my worst days. Hot flashes too chemo_pause is real I am so hot whew🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. I am not taking any vitamins yet but plan to start the B12 soon. I also noticed that my hands has started trembling/shaking no tingling yet thank God not sure what that is about. My doctor told me I need to try and get as much sleep as possible but i'm struggling. Drinking tons of water have improved my skin somewhat in the face area but my feet are dry as chips and peeling the soles turned black they look horrendous. I am not icing just moisturing and soaking them weekly.
The upside is there is no nausea, no metal mouth and I can eat basically anything. I try to exercise 5/6 times a week for 1/2hr I have found that this has helped with my general well being. My hair has started growing back and its completely gray I don't know what happened to the black either way I am going with the flow. I had my hair platinum b4 so its no biggie i'm a free spirit when it comes to hair I switch it up all the time. Eyebrows still sparse but the pencil works.lol. I have not gained any weight even though I feel like i'm eating more my appetite is insatiable.
Well ladies the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer. The journey still has Some ways to go but we are almost there. STAY STRONG, STAY POSITIVE, WE CAN DO THIS, ONE TREATMENT AT A TIME, LET'S KICK CANCER'S BUTT TO THE CURB.
You are all in my prayers have a blessed weekend.
Dark13
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Well today was supposed to be my last TCHP. I met with the oncologist, he was all stupid jolly like "excited for your last chemo?" No, a million times no. But he cleared me and I went to infusion. I sat in their waiting room for an hour before I was told that a nurse caught that my white counts were too low and it took them awhile to contact my dr and it got postponed until next week. First time I legit burst into tears in front of a million people. Glad my oncologist bothered to look at my labs
![:\](https://community.breastcancer.org/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
Regarding surgery...I decided on a lumpectomy because that's what my surgeon recommended. I was sort of surprised it was an option since my lump was so large and I have a second small tumor. She did kind of pre-warn me that things could change and they could end up having to do a full mastectomy anyways and that freaked me out a bit but I guess it might be something they tell everyone? I've seen stats that lumpectomy + radiation are as good as mastectomy. I don't know if there's different stats if you're triple negative but hopefully your surgeon wouldn't recommend anything that was a bad idea. I'd seen the stats already and so when my doctor suggested it, I decided to go along with it even though I had originally wanted a single mastectomy. Recovery time is really important to me since I'm going to need to take care of myself during it. I'm also hoping that I'm able to retain more sensation than I would with mastectomy but I have no idea if that is actually a thing. There is the whole matter of radiation...but I guess I could end up needed it even with mastectomy, right?
One thing I'm confused by...my surgeon didn't even mention reconstruction or talking to plastic surgery or anything like that. Is that normal? I'm so lost in this whole process. I feel like no one ever gives me information it seems like everyone else gets.0 -
Hey JVP. So sorry your last treatment is delayed.
Do you mind me asking what your WBC was? Mine was 2.2 last week. I still get my blood tested the day before chemo, but don't see my Dr. each time like I did while on AC. I found out about my low WBC at my infusion appointment and the nurse had already called my MO for go-ahead. I'm super curious to see how it is tomorrow. I'll be seeing my MO tomorrow, too, so luckily I won't have any surprises. Fingers crossed I can still have my treatment on Friday...I had lumpectomy, too, and my breast surgeon referred me to a plastic surgeon before surgery. I already have implants and was a bit conflicted about what to do. I proceeded with the lumpectomy with the implants in place, and cosmetically, my breast still looks really good. Now, I'm just waiting to see what radiation does to it. Once that's all done and I'm healed, I may have my implants replaced if I look distorted.
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No one actually told me what they were today and the labs won't show up online until probably Sunday but I can update you then if you want. My stuff has been somewhat low. 3 weeks ago my WBC was at 3.6 and my neutrophils were 1.77 which are both below normal but not that bad. She also initially told me it was a white blood count issue but it might specifically be a neutrophil issue. I think they might have been mentioned but my brain kind of exploded when she said no chemo.
Going in today I actually thought it might be postponed because I'm not feeling quite right. Of course, once I talked to my oncologist I thought everything was ok. I think the worst part about it being postponed is that I have to still stay there for them to de-access my port (which they had to stick me in twice today because the first needle thingy they put in leaked everywhere!)
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JVP, sorry you had such a crappy day.
That's crazy that they accessed your port and then delayed treatment. Ugh! My total neutrophils were 1,100. I'm praying everything is up tomorrow...My brain would have exploded, too.0
