Starting chemo January 2018
Comments
-
Warning- post about poop!
Cenok- if the blood was bright red, and you are constipated, you probably have hemorrhoids. Does it sting or is it itchy after a bowel movement? If the blood was darker or like coffee grounds, you’re bleeding somewhere up in your intestines (not good!) either way, I’d call your mo to let them know your concerns. If you do have hemorrhoids, try a laxative if you don’t have diarrhea. Hemorrhoids get worse when you are constipated- even just a little- and have to push hard. Hope this helps!
0 -
CENOK2017
Absolutely NOT please call you MO asap if you haven't already. Let us know how you are.
0 -
CENOK2017
Absolutely NOT please call you MO asap if you haven't already. Let us know how you are.
0 -
CENOK2017 definitely call you oncologist about this! just on a side note: have you eaten any beats yesterday? i always get startled with bright red, when it happens, but then i remember.
I went to my chiropractor today. mentioned my terrible muscle spasms. he told me that my magnesium level was getting low. prescribed magnesium supplement. got approval from MO. so hopefully it helps for the 3rd treatment.
Also went to the dollar store got more scarfs- I love these simple accessories-so much variety! will post pictures later.
Roxy13- at the Look Good Feel Better workshop they told us to avoid any adhesives (eyelashes) during chemo. to create an illusion of eyelashes, just use eyeliner or black eye pencil.
ps. Thank you, ladies, for compliments:)))
0 -
Had second round of chemo 2/16/2018 and have felt wiped out all week. My nurse didn't do such a great job accessing port which led to a second stick and I'm not sure what happened when she placed the Neulasta on abdomen. Seems like my heart rate has been at 120-124. Stomach cramps even though I'm drinking lots of fluids. I did notice that I didn't ache as bad with the Neulasta this time so I hope it injected properly. I was able to function at work each day and get my son to his 2 soccer practices. Even followed the doctor's orders to do 10 mins on treadmill.
I think that maybe because the infusion started out rocky it zapped me of my bubble happy place and once I lost that focus it was really hard to get it back. I did notice that today my heart rate was getting closer to 100. I just think I let the stress take over and overhelm me. Hopefully week 2 will show improvement. I did have a friend that just made sure she stayed in close contact even though she's in another state. I think I would have just curled in a ball and cried has she not kept that continuous contact.
Stay strong everyone....we got this!!
0 -
0 -
Love this one! Infinity scarf turned turban. ( the purple one too). Watched a few YouTube videos on how to wrap scarfs and pashminas. Now playing with them:)) makes me happy!
0 -
I'm a week out from TC #3 and feeling really fatigued, but otherwise kind of ok! I went for a walk today, saw a movie by myself (my favorite way to see a movie), felt a little bit like a human being. Sort of. The fatigue is real, but walking felt good and gave me a little energy. I'm trying not to feel lazy and give myself time to rest, but it's still hard to be gentle with myself. I just miss the me who had so much energy and light. She'll be back, but it's frustrating right now.
PS @Oleysa You look fantastic!
Hang in there, all! We're doing it!
0 -
Roxy13: I heard about a product on a UK cancer blog - the woman said it saved her eyelashes (she did 4 rounds of docetaxal) so I decided to order it: https://www.amazon.ca/Talika-Lipocils-Eyelash-Cond...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519432075&sr=8-1&keywords=lipocils
I still have my lashes at the moment, so maybe I will get lucky. They also make an eyebrow product I ordered too. This hasn't arrived yet, but I am crossing my fingers it gets here in time to potentially make a difference.
Okkate75- I hear you sister about the fatigue. I can hardly even walk up the stairs it seems like. I have lost 10 pounds this week (since treatment a week ago) due to food, stomach, and diarrhea issues, so that must have something to do with this. I sure hope this turns around by next week.
Oleysa: You sure do suit the scarves! I have tried some, but I've a much more round face, so not totally convinced they work for me. I take magnesium daily, have for years, to manage muscle spasms. I take 250 mg biscglycinate morning and night. It makes a huge difference.
Has anyone had trouble with cold hands and feet? I am wondering if this is early neuropathy or just a general SE of the docetaxal? The last few nights I've had to wear 2 sets of socks and wrap my feet in a heating pad, and also wear woolly gloves - just trying to get to sleep, which has been long in arriving.
I also finally read the Claritin forum string on this website and found out I was doing some stuff wrong - but then last night I took the 24 hour dose at 1030pm - so I couldn't sleep for hours! Sigh. Living and learning.
0 -
CENOK2017- Call your MO. It has been a while since your last post. My prayers are with you.
BeyondBlessed- your treadmill comment inspired me. I am not ready for the treadmill yet, but I can manage light ankle weights when I walk.
Olesya-Love the scarfs and the pictures.
Okkate75- glad to see you post. Adjusting to a slower pace sucks. We will get it back.
Deaelle- I haven't had cold hands and feet. I had numbing and iced to combat that SE. Hopefully others may have some tips for you. I hope the SE gets better.
I am 2days out from round 2. Claritin seems to help,. Fatigue is real. I take mini naps. I cut on my pain medicine and feel ok. I don't want discomfort, but I hate taking do many meds. By the time I am finished taking stuff for SE(s) I feel full from the water I take with them. 😒
To get me through the Neulasta shot yesterday, I decided to go to the store to get some fruit, vegetables, and what I really wanted ingredients for guacamole. Well it beeped in the store, and since the store was empty it was loud.🙄
Omg my friend heard it through the phone and was like wow. A few people in the produce section were looking around confused. I looked around too. Lol. While on the phone, I said to my friend yes it's me beeping. Then everyone was ok. I forgot about the beeping. Guess my idea to go the store worked.
Speaking of friendships, my friend of (17 plus years) shared she didn't tell me something impacting her because she was concerned about me. Well I let her know that was not okay. As friends we share and being there for each other is part of the package. It felt good to have her open up and explained her telling me made me feel valuable. Friendship is a two way street.
Wishing a good day to all. I am sleeping in. I cried the first time I didn't take my kids to school for Saturday activities. Today I am okay with it. I can rest and be ready for them when they return.
Plus I get to watch my husband manage drop off and pick up. This will be entertaining. We reviewed the schedule like 3 times. I said don't worry about drop off they will get up, and they will call me if you're late. Lol.
Blessings to all.
0 -
Thank you for the beauty tips, Olesya and Deaelle! I also attended one of those Look Good Feel Better workshops and I remember the facilitator telling us to use a mascara with a small brush, because it can find the finest, smallest lashes to attach to.
I’m also feeling exhausted, and like I got the flu. My house has lots of stairs, and I can barely drag my heels... Hopefully this counts as exercise.
Olesya, you look tres chic!
Have a great weekend, ladies!
0 -
Ooof. Just checking in, not enough energy to reply back to everyone. AC #3 on Thursday, and true to form, Saturday and Sunday are the worst. It's cold here in eastern Idaho and I am huddled on the couch with the woodstove cranking, puppy on my feet, and a heating pad between my knees. Getting warm... So far this round every little ache and pain is amplified, but nausea is under control. All kinds of little things are helping: ginger essential oil, ginger and green tea in a thermos, a little indica in the vape pen, no-sugar lifesaver mints, and a little toast on the side. Maybe a bath later.
Deep breaths, friends. This too shall pass.
0 -
Thank you all for your concern! MO has me on Senna and now no blood! Think it was from hemmroids. I'm opposite of most of you and get constipated!
Take care of yourselves and again thanks for comments!
0 -
shlomit-I used the vap pen because I hate smoke and the edibles take to long to kick in. I hate to say it but I don’t know any of the names. I literally walked in, told them my symptoms and they set me up. I mostly got it for sleep and bone/muscle pain because those were my worst symptoms last time. It has been 25 days since first treatment and 4 days post second treatment and my hair is still there. I already started losing body hair a week ago but hardly any hair on head. Just washed it again today and more came out than normal but nothing drastic. My husband has been a rockstar with the cold capping.
Amelia01-I went with penguin for capping and so far it’s been great. As far as the cannibus, I didn’t have nausea last time and now I do so I might head back over and get some for nausea. I get confused if certain strains will work for multiple SEs.
Olesya- I didn’t know I could take muscle relaxers for the horrible spasms I have been having. If the cannabis doesn’t help then I will try because this pain sucks. I’m glad you are feeling better and can hang with your family. By the way, your pics look great! Love the scarves. I also have the same issues with my appetite. I am hungry all the time but nothing tastes good, so I keep eating new things.
Homemadesalsa and Roxy13- good luck on next round! Sending good vibes your way :-)
Insideout2- I hope you’re doing well after second round of chemo! I don’t know how you feel about cannabis but it helped with my sleep.
Deaelle- sorry to hear things are rough for you again. Just hang on and know this isn’t forever and you Can do this!
Beyond blessed- sorry to hear second round has wiped you out. I thought it would be easier. I’m glad you have a friend to get you through this. Stay strong. U got this!!
Okkate75- glad to hear TC #3is going OK. Don’t feel lazy, it’s good to give yourself a break
Cenok2017- glad to hear you’re OK!
0 -
SarahSC, thanks for the feedback. I have Ativan to help w/sleep, mostly in the first week after treatment. The Neulasta-related pain is annoying, but I've been able to deal with most of it w/Tylenol. Still shedding quite a bit, but other than looking shaggy in the back by my hairline (I have short hair), I want to believe that the Arctic caps have been mostly working.
Now I'm dealing with another issue which, hopefully, won't require a delay of my March 9 chemo (3rd of 4). I originally had a lumpectomy, followed by a re-excision to address 3 areas which didn't have clean margins. Thought the re-excision was all healed, but an almost pinhole size spot opened. Thought I could just deal with it DIY with a Band-Aid and the like, let it go w/o mentioning it to the MO or her nurse practitioner, and now there's an infection (a culture was sent to the lab on Friday for identification). My breast surgeon -- who is dealing with this -- has me on a pretty strong antibiotic, sulfamethoxazole, but she told me that if this doesn't get cleared sooner rather than later, the next chemo will have to be rescheduled. I'm not messing around with this and taking it very seriously, but it's so frustrating. {Thanks for putting up with my venting.}
0 -
hey everyone!!
It’s almost day 5, post second round TC chemo. I feel absolutely miserable. Last time I felt pretty bad but at least I didn’t have nausea. Chemo day went good. Cold capping was exhausting but made it through. I woke up the next morning feeling nauseous and horrible headache. Last time it took a couple of days before the exhaustion kicked in but this time it was right away and it hasn’t left. I have thrown up a few times but mostly sit over the toilet dry heaving. Now the body is starting to ache. For some reason I don’t remember it being this bad last time but maybe it’s like childbirth and I just forgot most of it. Like last time, I started to feel like I’m on fire in my insides. I slept on the top of my sheets in underwear and a tank top, I had cold washcloths on my neck and forehead and I had ice packs along my whole body. My husband came in the room and said it was freezing but I felt like I was sitting on the sun. Does anyone else get this?
To top it off, my dad came to visit me and to help out but he ended up getting a really bad head and chest cold. The day he left, my husband got a 101.7 temp and horrible chills. We now found out he has the flu 😷
Now I’m moaning in one room and my husband is moaning in another room. My 14 year old is stuck being the caretaker. I’m crossing my fingers I don’t get sick. I was hoping round two would be easier.
Ok I will try to stop complaining now. It’s good to be alive!
0 -
SarahSC,
Someone told me it's ok to have a bad day. And it's most definitely ok to vent. I hope the week gets better for you. Stay positive!
0 -
SarahSC, Hope you are feeling better today. With taxotere/neulasta, I found day 5 to be the hardest, then it starts getting better. Keep the pain meds, Claritin, and zofran going. Your daughter sounds like an angel!
0 -
SarahC - What you have described sounds miserable. The only consolation I can provide is, it will get better. Sometimes that is all we have to hold on to when going through the bad times. I'm wishing you a shift to the upswing soon.
0 -
Also wishing you and your family a speedy recovery, @SarahSC!
I’m on day 3 of my third TC. Still feel like I got the flu, but I’m feeling a bit better than yesterday. My main problem is the lack of sleep! I’m so wired from the steroids I keep tossing and turning all night, only to crash at 11am. And my brain is tired, so I can’t even stay up reading, or looking up recipes, or something. Awful, but like someone said, this too shall pass...
Hope everyone is feeling as good as possible!
Take care, ladies.
0 -
Good evening everyone, please talk to me about dry, itchy scalp after your hair has (mostly) fallen out.
No cold cap here, so I have lost most of my hair. It's short and I have dry patches of skin. Do you use any soap at all? Lotion? I don't like the smell of coconut oil, so not using that. I have done two rounds of TC, and will be switching the Taxotere to Adriamycin next week for rounds 3 and 4. Some days I feel like my scalp is on fire.Thank you!
0 -
Roxy13 and SaraSC- hang in there.
Princess Buttercup-I didn't cold cap, however did choose to ice with a method I am testing. If it works great, if not I was set to loose my hair anyway. Prior to chemo I moisturized my scalp and hair with a mixture of products using a spray bottle filled with recommended must haves for hair naturals. I use it now and my scalp has not been irritated nor the hair present dry. Its a mixture of water, olive oil, jojoba castor hair oil, and sulfate free leave in conditioner. I use it on hair wash day and every other day. The products by themselves smell too strong for me, but by using the bottle I can control the scent.
I ate soooooo much yesterday and the day before and loooved it. Tex-mex, BBQ, and Steak houses are popular in my area. My favorite is Tex-mex and I have not had any. I purchased the ingredients to make homemade Guacamole, but never did. I did eat several bean and cheese breakfast tacos with out any SE(s). I loved it so much that when my husband and daughter came in with lunch, I convinced them to eat the grilled chicken tacos they got for me, so I could eat the beans, cheese, and tortilla that came with Thier meal. That was Saturday. Sunday was a better food day for me. I made waffles for breakfast. It was raining yesterday morning. I like the smell of rain so I lifted my kitchen windows while I cooked. As soon as the batter hit the griddle and the wind from outside carried the scent through the house I knew I was going to try one. It tasted great. I let everyone eat upstairs, a definite no in my house, but a small sacrifice to sit at the table with a breeze by myself. I also ate fresh fruit. Then either due to a full stomach or meds I slept until it was time to make a trip to the beauty supply store.
My teenage daughter was ready and convinced me to buy a wig with a color I typically wouldn't wear. Then while completing Sunday errand number 2, she mentions she misses eating Pei Wei and PF Chang's. Makes sense, we had cut back on eating out. Well what kind of mother would I be if I didn't use that opportunity to order take out. I ordered mongolian beef and it was a good comfort food for a rainy day( 4:30pm.)
Around 8pm I was over every beverage in the house. Water, Gatorade, milk, boost, ensure, juice(fruit, vegetable, or commercial) , and I didn't want a soda, smoothie, milkshake or anything from home. My husband and daughter were not sympathetic enough to move, but if you have a teenage son and say you want to make a food run you will get a willing partner. So my son and I go to Sonic. I get him what he wants and I thier Frozen Lemonade slush. No more rain and it was a little humid. The perfect drink.
Yesterday was the first time in a while I enjoyed my food and wanted to share what happened. I did eat my fruit, almonds etc, but the bad stuff felt so good.
The healthy train will start again today, but if yesterday wasn't pleasurable I don't know if I would be ready for today. Plus I have an extra slush in the freezer.
Stay strong and true to yourself.
0 -
Good lord! I was so happy to have 14k wbcs after my mini-dose of growth hormones. Then the doctor said that even if they are above average it doesn't mean they are all working up to par (great....):
And for the past 5 days I have been housebound with an upper respiratory infection! On anti-bs, second time since staring chemo.
I have such a bad and persistent cough that I haven't slept in three nights because I cough continuously and violently.
My bff came to visit from the US and brought me all sorts of treats
cook books, aloe socks, nut bar, nail polish for the taxane treatments - and for the past 6 days I forgot about this "ailment" --- even though we had to stay in we had such a great time watching movies and listening to music and catching up. We planned our summer trip (hoping radiation doesn't interfere with my plans!). And I broke down and bought a wig..... the capping has left much hair stil on my head, but the bald spot on top is gross and even when the hair grows back in it will undoubtably be nasty and wiry and uncolorable, so I'll have the wig transformed into a topper.
Hugs to all ---
0 -
I love my wigs(none of them were purchased by me-my husband did). They came each time as a surprise in a mail. IF it wasn't for hair loss/shaving i wouldn't have a such a wonderful chance to play safely with different styles and colours.
My husband ordered 4 wigs of ebay. they are synthetic and maybe not the super quality, but hey it makes me feel good. I have now 4 different styles i can pick and choose from depending on my mood. and a whole bunch of different scarf. i love to play with this headwear::))
also a benefit of being bold: the hot flashes don't feel so devastatingly hot with a breathing top lol
0 -
This is the time to experiment with different hair styles and colours! That’s what I tel people when they show surprise that my wig is blonde. Why not?
I’ve been meaning to watch that season of Sex and the City when Samantha had breast cancer and she had all those funky wigs through chemo!
Take care, ladies!
0 -
Hi, everybody! I love all the fun y'all are having with wigs! I've surprisingly ended up mostly going bald. I was nervous to be in front of a classroom of 50 with nothing on my head, but I've been so hot I've just gone with it. I'm grateful my students are just rolling with me.
I have felt so terrible for the past month--the flu plus chemo really did me in. But this weekend I started to feel a little more like myself, and today is a good day. Finally! It's such a relief to have a day like this. I'm even going to get back on my bike for a very, VERY short ride. My energy level is still super low, but I'm ready to spin around a few blocks.
Take care out there, all! We're doing it!
0 -
Hello Everyone! I haven't posted for a while. I had a hard time with my last AC. It took me a full week or more to feel a little better. I had lingering nausea, sinus issues (I think from the Cytoxan), just an overall feeling "bad". I also got a bit depressed this time around. I find that the first few days after chemo, I get really emotional - does anyone else having AC go through this? Overall, I feel like I just didn't bounce back as quickly this time. I went for my bloodwork today and I have my last AC treatment on Wednesday (Woo Hoo!). Next week, I'll be meeting with my breast surgeon to start talking about surgery (double mastectomy) and will get an ultrasound to see if things are shrinking. I still feel the lump and I can't tell if it has gotten smaller or not - so I'm pretty nervous about the US next week. I will be devastated if nothing has shrunk. Surgery won't be until I complete my 12 weekly Taxol treatments though. If everything stays on schedule, I should finish my Taxol the last week of May and probably have surgery in the beginning of July. Will find out more on that next week. I have been nervous about the Taxol - since it is new and I don't know what to expect. Last night I couldn't sleep so I found an old (2012) "Weekly Taxol Group" discussion board from this site and it really helped to get an idea of what to expect. There may be a newer one that I don't know about, but if anyone is interested here is the link: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics...
I'm pretty much completely bald now. My eyebrows are about half as thick as they used to be and I still lose eyelashes here and there, but they are hanging in there. I have my Look Good, Feel Better class coming up on March 12th that I am really looking forward to. Has anyone gone yet? What did you think about it?
My 8 year old daughter has been having a hard time with me having cancer. I'm not quite sure how to help her. I constantly reassure her that I'll be fine, and this is temporary and that everything will get back to normal after treatment is done. But she still keeps getting upset. She doesn't like seeing me without hair and looking different. She has a classmate whose Mom passed away from breast cancer and so she thinks that's going to happen to me. I hate that this upsets her. I feel guilty that my kids get upset about this - I know it's not my fault, but it still really bothers me. Any advice on how to ease her worries would be greatly appreciated.
Well, that pretty much sums up my life at the moment. Even though I don't post much, I always follow all of your posts and I can't tell you how much it helps to hear from everyone on here. I hope everyone has a great week this week!
0 -
Fingers crossed for good results next week, @Paisley2916! Please let us know what they say.
My heart goes out to your little girl. I found that my daughter (11) had a harder time with my cancer than my son (14), and mostly with the loss of hair/looks aspect. I'm not surprised. She's a girly girl, and we always went to the hair salon, nail salon, Body Shop, cheapy jewelry stores, you name it, together. We share the shampoo and conditioner. Well, shared, anyway, until I lost my hair. She's always starting to develop breasts, so this makes it even more difficult and emotional.
I know that there are books on how to speak to your kids about cancer. I haven't read them, but they may help. My approach was to focus on the positive aspects: breast cancer is treatable, good doctors, they caught it relatively early, good prognosis... I chose to leave out some of the more inconvenient details: tumour size, grade etc. I also didn't get into detail on what the double mastectomy entails. I'm one of those parents that think that the naked truth is not always beneficial to children this young, but others may do differently, and it's probably ok. We were lucky in that the moms and other women we know with breast cancer (and there are many), are all alive and well. This changes the perspective, I think.
Sending positive vibes your way, and hugs to everyone!
R
0 -
@Okkate75, you are done next week! Happy thoughts!!!
Also, I found that a bit of exercise really helps boost the energy levels. I'm sure I posted before, but I try to do something every day, even if it's just a stretch or yoga class when I'm at my weakest. It's been really mild and sunny in Toronto these days, so I just walked (I'm only Day 4 after TC#3), which was great. Helps with the morale too. If the weather holds, I will take my bike out too. It's amazing what biking and fresh air does to my mental health! It must be because I feel like a little girl all over again
0 -
Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone is doing great. I finished round 2, Thursday last week. I spent yesterday reviewing medical claims, appointment notes, and locating a look good feel better class.
Ater noting the different exercise activities posted, I am going to add something extra to my daily walk. Not sure what, but my goal will be to break a sweat.
Wishing everyone a day better than yesterday.
0
