Starting Chemotherapy March 2018
Comments
-
ToughCookie - I know in BC people have gotten second opinions - though the most recent case I'm thinking of was regarding the surgery part of treatment & not the oncologist. For things like you're going through it's possibly less helpful because as I understand it, complicated cases usually get discussed in team meeting, so other oncologists and specialists have likely already considered it.
0 -
Bec-ky, my worst headaches came from Zofran. Other than that I've had a mild one for a day or two about 5 days in, which I took Tylenol for. Have u discussed with you MO, if so what was the feedback?
0 -
Yes... Just told me to keep taking what I was taking (excedrine) since it was working.
I just wonder if it's The chemo or The nulasta...
0 -
Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day!
0 -
Hi, hope everyone is doing well.
Last two weeks have been battling some Allergic reactions during 3rd cycle of TC, mostly swelling face,hands, some serious itching and very bad heart burn. End up visiting ER twice to deal with the symptoms. I was taken it by surprise as the first two cycles went reasonable smooth with some pain as expected. All the SE symptoms started day 8-9 of the 3 rd cycle. MO said it’s delayed allergic reaction to taxtoere,
MO switched my last cycle of chemo to Abraxane, I still have some itching, also bone and muscle pain seem start on day 4. Taking benedryl for the itching and hoping it will all gradually go away.
Anyone else has hives and swelling
0 -
I've been sore all over today. Not bone aches, like if I touch my skin it is sore. Not sure what's up with that, is it just the Neulasta? My bones ache too, btw.
Also still having the elevated pulse. My NP said it was from dehydration but if that's the case then hydrating is impossible because I've been drinking water like it's my job and peeing every two hours. Still, my elevated is most people's normal so I'm not too worried about it.
0 -
hapa, herceptin is known to cause heart problems so I'd suspect your elevated resting HR is more likely due to that.
My resting HR has been elevated since I started chemo but it's likely due to adriamycin which is also known to be cardiotoxic.0 -
Happy Mother’s Day ladies.. just checking in on day 4 here of TC round 3. This has been a tougher round for me for some reason. I was queasy from Friday night until late this afternoon. I pretty much lost my appetite so food for the most part has sounded gross to me but at least now I’m able to manage some toast. Smells are really bothering me too. And forget drinks. I’ve been living off of ginger ale mixed with some real cranberry juice since Friday night since it’s the only thing that tastes decent. The last couple rounds I was at least able to get out of the house here and there during the first few days, do the laundry etc...but not this time. I have not left the bed or couch since Friday night to do anything other than the necessities! I had some bone pain today and took some Advil... slept hard for about 3 hours this afternoon.. feeling better now so hopefully coming out on the other side. I know in the grand scheme of things my SEs are still considered mild but it still sucks to feel this way. Bleh.
Hope everyone is having a great day and/or feeling better, especially you toughcookie! Sorry you’ve been having such a rough go of it!
0 -
Hapa... Day 1 after nulasta shot.. Im sore... Like my skin hurts too.
And steph - I feel like I'm just doing the nessecities this round too.. Like I'm way more tired and lazy... But need the rest.... Lol
0 -
I just found this forum, I was googling taxotere side effects and somehow it led me here and I'm so glad. I wish I had found you all earlier.
This Thursday will be round 4 of 6 of TCH-P for me.
First round on March 8 was pretty easy except they injected directly into an arm vein (have port now) and now I have a permanently damaged vein that looks bruised and awful. Also had an allergic reaction (couldn't breathe, blood pressure shot up) to the taxotere, so Benadryl is part of the regiment now. I had treatment at MDA (which I am happy with) and drove eight hours home. Two days later woke up with a sore throat so went to PCP and had strep throat and a UTI. That threw me into a tailspin of worry and feeling sorry for myself, thinking "what else can go wrong?!?"
Second round I had treatment sent to my hometown to be administered because the 8 hour each way drive was daunting and I'm trying to work full time through all this. It was delayed by a full week (so 4 weeks between rounds) due to insurance dragging their feet about transferring prescription up here. Of course I'm envisioning the tumor growing because of the delay. This time I got terribly constipated and then the worst D you can ever imagine when it finally broke lose. My sweet husband cleaned up the bathroom in a hazmat suit (not really, but almost). I thought this was all normal so didn't call the nurse, I mean it's not supposed to be an easy treatment, right? Lost 14 pounds in less than a week. Had to go in for IV fluids because I couldn't even stand up I was so weak, but blood work looked ok and felt pretty darn good after the fluids.
Third round went back to the original anti-nausea medicine I had at MDA and started taking Miralax on day of treatment, everything went so much easier, but have felt mildly stomachachy all three weeks this time and the side effects of acid reflux,a drippy nose and watery, twitchy eyes have been super annoying these past couple of weeks, but I can live with those if the poison is doing its job inside of me.
I wish I had you all to walk with me through all that over the past two months.
I'm glad to say I'm on the downhill slide of chemo rounds and take joy in saying I'll be done next month, but surgery is looming, probably early August. I go back to MDA in Houston at the end of this month to meet with the surgeon, have an mammogram and ultrasound and determine if we will do a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Then after surgery onto radiation and finish out the year with more herceptin and possibly perjetta
I don't really know all my stats and don't really want to at this point. I do know that it is stage 2B IDC and have 4-5 lymph nodes involved. I trust my MO and figure he knows way more than I do about treatment so I will go with whatever he says.
Thanks for reading through that long saga and although I'm not happy to be here, happy to have your encouragement and hope I can return it and be of help to someone else.
0 -
Aruss-welcome to this board! This group of March chemo ladies are just wonderful. Sorry to see you here but it's a good place to be! I don't know where I'd be without having a place to vent and check up on others going through the same thing with some with the same side effects (which can be very reassuring).
Sounds like you've had a rough couple months but thankfully you are on the tail end of things and are so much sooner moving on to survivorship! Soon this will all be behind you! ❤️
Please keep us posted on your surgery anf and how you're feeling even after chemo! It helps all of us!
0 -
Happy Monday! Wanted to share one unanticipated last round SE - which may (or may not) be due to low potassium. Last Thursday night my higher-than-normal pulse suddenly went way out of whack and I started to feel dizzy, like I was about to faint, and had trouble breathing. I had been feeling more tired and off than usual for a few days before, but suddenly this was very scary. After hoping it would pass - finally had my husband call 911 and I ended up in the hospital with an attack of atrial fibrillation - extremely rapid heartbeat with abnormal sinus rhythm, and blood pressure so low it was almost not readable. ER team was able to stabilize me and kept me overnight - next morning I discharged there to a local hospital within my main system. They did a workup and it turns out I have (possibly all my life) a cardiac condition which I likely inherited from my dad - which somehow was exacerbated by either the treatment, the low potassium, etc., and which now requires my adding a cardiologist to my ever-growing medical team! I've had high blood pressure for years so the condition could also be the result of that, but I really never had symptoms of this cardiac condition until now (or I was blissfully ignorant and ignoring things). I am looking for a cardiologist who will integrate with the oncology team - the local hospital was all about the cardio and really didn't pay much attention to the chemo/what had been going on and how I had already been feeling - and I want to make sure it gets looked at from a whole.
Kind discouraging for it to come a week after the last chemo, but it does sound like it could be serious so maybe it's a good thing it manifested. At any rate, feeling much better but probably taking my pulse rate far more often than needed. I'm on a potassium suppmement in the meantime to keep the numbers up.
Thanks for listening, ladies!
0 -
I've been reading all of the posts this weekend and I cannot believe what some of you are going through! I feel like a bit of a whiner as my SE's suck, but nothing like what some of you are dealing with. I hope all of you that had a rough time last week are feeling much better, my thoughts are with you all.
Welcome aruss1, sorry you are going through this, but glad to have you here. This is a wonderfully supportive community and the only place I feel like I can really tell it like it is.
I have TCHP 4/6 on Thursday and I find myself struggling to start taking my medications in preparation for the next round. Mentally, this is getting so much harder each time. I took my Nexium and Claritin this morning and will start steroids again on Wednesday. The Big D finally stopped over the weekend, but things are still not "normal" in the digestive world. My eyes are watery, my skin is a mess and I've been having hot flashes which is a new development.
I'm trying to stay positive by focusing on the first weekend of June. My husband and I are celebrating our 13th anniversary with a kid-free weekend at a famous fish camp down at Crescent Lake. It will be my good weekend right before tx #5 and we are really looking forward to some great fishing. I ordered some sun protection clothing and a big hat last night for the trip, I am finding that sunscreen just irritates my skin even more than usual so I'm just going to cover up.
0 -
Aruss, Welcome to our group. I am also on on a TCH program. Hopefully will have number 3 this week if my platelets are good to go. Similar SE to yours. There’s aTriple Positive forum, be sure to check that out as well.
0 -
Wild - geez, you're having at tough time! At least your done with chemo, I guess? So you don't have to worry about this happening again.
Sidalee - you're not a whiner at all! I haven't even cycled through the hospital yet, but I still complain about SEs! Anyway, I hear you on having to motivate to get through subsequent cycles of chemo. I did TCHP 3/6 last week and I was like "yeah, halfway!" but I'm really dreading the next round already. I wonder if the 4th round is the hardest mentally? Maybe the 5th and 6th will be easier since there are so few left? I hope so. I hope you can enjoy your anniversary trip.
As for me, I'm doing ok on the SE front. My tumors are aching again. This happened after my first round but not so much after the second. My main tumor seems to have shrunk. It shrunk a lot after the first round, not a whole lot after the second, and seems to be shrinking again this time. So maybe the aching has something to do with the tumor dying. I sure hope so. I'm in the thick of SEs right now, mostly aches, fatigue, sore throat, bad taste, bloody nose, bloating. Three more rounds to go, bleh! If I get steroid munchies this time I'm totally hitting up the local Waffle House. I've already decided - two eggs + hash browns scattered and smothered + pecan waffle. Mmmm.
0 -
hapa, that sounds very similar to what I had for Mother's Day breakfast at IHOP yesterday! Yum!
I do feel like maybe #4 is the mental challenge I have to overcome. After this I think only 2 more and then 1 more and then Done! Hopefully there will be no surprises this round. I'm sorry your SE's are sucking right now, get some rest and feel better soon
0 -
Just to keep everyone updated. No matter what.
I was with a friend today and she wanted to stop for an iced coffee at McDonald's.
I won't go into details.
Hope everyone's having a great day! I have minor bone pain today and pretty much feel normal...and it's only 5 days post chemo.
0 -
Wildcolonialgirl—-that is so scary, but glad you are ok and like you said better to find out about it now! Congrats on finishing your last round! 🎉🎉🎉
All the egg talk now has me craving breakfast for dinner! I’m just happy to be getting my appetite back.
And Bec-ky let me guess...did you order something that rhymes with “pig back”?! 😂🤣
Quick question for all the premenopausal ladies...what has your menstruation situation (lol) been like? I just got my period today almost 2 weeks late. I’m normally very regular with my cycles so clearly things are wonky from chemo. I was hoping it would stay gone, but I guess my body has other ideas...
0 -
Steph... Last month I got it on time...
So Far this month I would have been due right about today or tomorrow at the very latest. I'm hoping it doesn't come.
0 -
Steph74 - I was always spot on regular as well, every month my entire life, except pregnancy. After starting chemo, my period happened 2 weeks early, then nothing since then. MO said maybe one more then that will probably be it. Guess it varies wildly based on treatment plan, age, etc.
Bec-Ky - French fries sound wonderful right now.
Jstarling - Most of my energy is due to necessity. The dog has to be walked 2x per day. Exercising is mandatory to reduce my stress and anxiety. Ha. Hope your platelets recover. Fingers crossed.
So chemo #11 is now in the books. The list of SE is ever growing.
0 -
Wildcolonialgirl, congrats on the last one!!!
Steph- I'm late as well and just thought about it today.. hoping it would just be done. .. And thanks for the laugh," Pig back"..
Bec-ky, I was having a sweet urges but finially have that undercontrol. Hence, the 2 container of ice cream in the freezer still..lol
Hope everyone had a great mothers day. And my thoughts are with everyone as they gain daily strength thur the SE's. One day @ a Time.
Last AC this Thursday(& follow up doc appt as well) than start Taxol in 14 days.Having anxiety regarding the switch of drugs, probably bcuz of SE's.Plus it will be weekly. Ugh!! Any suggestions greatly appericated... I called the Breast Restorative Center, New Orleans, and approved to go if I choose them. But surgery will be about 4 weeks after all the chemo is complete around Aug.
0 -
Welcome aruss1 and CocoonCat. I too joined late but glad I did. This group of ladies is so supportive and informative!
0 -
Well so much for opening my big mouth and posting that I was feeling normal 5 days after chemo.... Jinx!
I started painting the bathroom yesterday with hubby... Not too strenuous, but more moving around than I have been doing.
Then today I worked some more on it.... Ripping trim off... Etc.. And just basically being on the go for 3 hours.
I all of a sudden started feeling awful really fast... Like fast. And my back just hurt so bad... I felt so run down...
So I took my temp and it's 99.7. I'm just going to take that as a warning sign to not do extreme home makeover during chemo. Ugh. I'm feeling so awful. And my back hurts so bad. I took an oxycodone from my lumpectomy and now I'm not moving for the rest of the day!
0 -
Welcome aruss1 and CocoonCat!
CoCoon cat, looks like u will be on similar routine that I will be on.. Wishing u minimum SE's.
Bec-KY goes easy on urself .. I'm actual impressed you started remodeling.I think I would be hesitate til I was in the clear from Chemo..
0 -
Now it's 100.4...so I'm really starting to get nervous. 😯
0 -
Oh no Becky!! Did you call your dr? Hopefully it’s nothing major and just a simple case of over-doing it. Sending you lots of feel better vibes.
0 -
Yes I did call.... And waiting on a call back.
When this all started I also started peeing large amounts... Not extra large but more than I'm drinking...
I've gone 6 times since 945...and I'm about to go again!
So... I'll keep everyone posted!
0 -
Take it easy and drink lots Bec-ky! Keep us posted, I bet the doctor is going to want you to come in.
0 -
Take it easy, Bec. Good that you called. We’re thinking of you.
0 -
Just left... There's apparently nothing that shows anything. Labs all look great... No uti..(Thank God)
They can't explain the low grade fever...or the polyuria. (peeing all the time)
I have to Just monitor it... And we will wait for the blood cultures to come back tomorrow.
I just think it's crazy... Just bam... out of nowhere... And nothing is off.
0
