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Chemo starting April 2018

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Comments

  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 3,293

    regarding probiotics, check with your oncologists before taking.

    Some do not recommend them esp if the patient is neutropenic. On some rigorous neutropenic diets, even yogurt is not allowed. http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/ca...


  • gawarrior
    gawarrior Member Posts: 368

    Frog, I have had terrible acid reflux on AC so that lump in your throat may be from that. You might try Pepcid (I saw it listed somewhere on here, so that's what I've been taking and it helps a lot).

    Thanks for the explanation about T and DD for it. I can totally see the temptation to get it over with, but I'm afraid of the neuropathy most of all. I iced my hands and feet for AC round #1, but they told me AC doesn't cause neuropathy problems so I didn't do it for #2. I've noticed some tingling at the tips of my middle fingers on both hands, though, and read somewhere that A or C (or maybe both) is very hard on the capillaries. I wonder if that's causing it for me and your black nails? Rats. I thinks I'm going to ice for these last 2 AC infusions. :(

  • urdrago71
    urdrago71 Member Posts: 500

    GAwarrior, my MO said she wouldn't reduce 12 weeks unless something was preexisting. And I'm with u on this acid reflex . Its been Horrible the last AC, I'm calling the MO tomorrow.I've got an overcounter medicine cabinet .grrr...

    Moth, thanks for all the information, greatly appericated.. I don't think we can ever have too much with all the choices we have to make.

    Djt, Great for u, and you deserve a great away. Plz share details of ur trip at Maine. I've never been but have hopes some day soon.

  • Positiveinohio
    Positiveinohio Member Posts: 22

    Happy Sunday everyone! I hope your weekend was somewhat pleasurable. Thank you all for the wonderful advice. Urdrago71, I have started taking B6 and B12 but will definitely try the icing everyone mentioned. Marie68 I am going to get some glutimine powder tomorrow.

    Astyanax66, I am also going to try the weights and also eating a very similar diet. I find if I eat bland but high in protein, I feel better and not asnauseous. Scrambled eggs also taste very good right now. I agree that the neuropathy is not painful but just annoying

    GAWarrior , I will let my oncologist know about the neuropathy this week. He asked me about it at my appointment last week but it did not start until 2 days after my 7th treatment.


    I am sorry we have to be here but Thanks again for all the support and guidance.

  • duffyzmom
    duffyzmom Member Posts: 217

    Sad day here today. My dog has been getting progressively worse since I started chemo. He's 13 and has a heart murmur. I'm convinced there is a connection to being around me post treatment but Vet says that is not possible. This weekend he stopped eating and any excursion causes coughing fits. We took him in again today and the chest x-ray wasn't good. Vet says best case scenario it is pneumonia but it could be cancer or congestive heart failure.

    Seriously sometimes when it rains it pours.

  • debal
    debal Member Posts: 600

    Duffy, I'm so so sorry about your dog. Are you convinced due to the timing of symptoms? Pets are like family and another support system for us. I'm sure your heart is breaking. I'm assuming on antibiotics in case it is pneumonia? Thinking of you

  • ingerp
    ingerp Member Posts: 1,515

    I'm so sorry, duffy. Our Corgi was recently diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy--the doggy version of ALS. He's not in any pain, and still has his incredible personality, but he is slowly losing his hind end and will continue to go downhill until it's time.

    I don't think this is the same thing, but a BC survivor who works with my husband said our dogs will know when I'm in chemo. Maybe it's a smell or an emotion or something, but she said they absolutely know.

    All good thoughts your way.

  • Djt
    Djt Member Posts: 176

    Duffy, so awfully sorry your little guy has become so ill! I know first hand how much they mean to us, and how our hearts hurt when they do. Prayers.

  • Djt
    Djt Member Posts: 176

    GAWarrior, thanks for the reminder about Activia I was eating it pretty regular, and feel the same way, that chemo knocks our system out of balance and alters our good bacteria terribly. Pro and pre biotics, yes! I will try it again, but the odd deal for me is, the very items I enjoyed and tolerated well on round one, I can't even think about for round 2. Its been meats, ice cream, and maybe eggs this time, but still, I can't complain, I'm no where near as ill feeling.

    Of course today is day 7, so it's getting much better. Hope this for you ALL as well.

    Thanks to all for the well wishes for the Maine trip. It's not till Oct, but I love having some goal ahead, especially with my Harley parked and covered right now. That's a hard pill to swallow.

    Keep on moving forward ladies!!!

  • gawarrior
    gawarrior Member Posts: 368

    Oh, Duffy (and Ingerp), I'm so sorry! My heart goes out to you. We had to put our 17 year old cat down just before I started treatment (she had a stroke while sleeping in my lap). Sometimes, life just sucks, but I know it will get better. I'm convinced our other cat knows when I've had chemo (I bet he can smell it). He sticks to me like glue for the first few days, even to the point of insisting (loudly) that he must sit ON my lap, not just next to me. Our animals are such a comfort. I hope your dog gets better soon!

    Djt, as moth suggested, it's a good idea to run the idea of Activia and probiotics past your MO, just in case. If they are okay for you to take, I'm sure they will help. Re food/tastes, I know for my last AC, I craved barbeque flavor - I didn't want anything else. It's like being pregnant and having cravings, right? I have round #3 tomorrow and figure I'l want something like pickles and ice cream, lol. At least you are feeling better!

    urdrago, my kitchen table looks like an over the counter medicine cabinet, too. You should have seen me stocking up in the medicine aisle of Kroger yesterday so I know I have everything to get me through #3 tomorrow. It's getting ridiculous.

  • Frog-on-the-lilypad
    Frog-on-the-lilypad Member Posts: 159

    Hugs to you Duffyzmom, I hope he feels better soon. And to you too Ingerp.

    GA Warrior, all the best for the next infusion. I get what you mean about cravings. My first 2 AC s I craved olives, icecreams and brocolli. By the 3rd one I had gotten over it.

  • astyanax66
    astyanax66 Member Posts: 223

    Dear Duffyzmom and Ingerp,

    I am so sorry to hear about your dogs. I hope they can be comfortable with you awhile longer. We’ve got 6, and they’re an indispensable part of my healing. I wish there was something more I could say, but it’s heartbreaking.

    Dee

  • ingerp
    ingerp Member Posts: 1,515

    Awww—such sweet words. Our four-legged friends are pretty wonderful aren’t they?

  • Weeeddie
    Weeeddie Member Posts: 17

    Duffyzmon, so sorry to hear about your dog. It's a difficult time for you, pets become such a part of the family.

    I have just finished my 4 AC today, am just wrecked but delighted to have gotten through so far, with minimal SE's have to say this one whacked for six but hopefully each day will be better. Start Taxol in 2 weeks time for 12 weeks.

    Wishing all you warriors best wishes in your treatments

  • urdrago71
    urdrago71 Member Posts: 500

    Positiveinohio, what’s is the amount of each tablet ur taking a day ? Or maybe that’s the question I should see if anyone has advice to help answer. How much do we take each day when on taxol?


    Duffy & Ingerp, my heart goes out to you. I wouldn’t have gotten so far without my fur baby. She is only 2 but been thru my fiancé passing and me with cancer. Fur babies are endless love... thinking of u each day as u and ur family thru this difficult time.

    Weeeddie, congrats on the 4th AC completion. I’m struggling a bit with the headaches, body soreness, and acid reflux, finally got something to work Prilosec 40 mg. I can eat and drink normally again. Hopefully the other SE’s will calm with rest and fluids.

    GAwarrior, wishing u minimal SE’s tomorrow.. lol, had to laugh about the medicine cabinet on counter. All the stuff to keep us going til the next treatment. I wonder would I take less over counter drugs if I used marijuana. This might sound crazy but I did just watched Dateline “season 27-episode 41-growing promise” report and the discussions was around pain/ child with seizures and government controlling the drug that might reduce symptoms and decrease the overall use of drugs. Is this something even talked about even talked about for us chemo patients?

  • Engine104
    Engine104 Member Posts: 241

    Dear Duffyzmom,

    I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. I hope the vet can treat him and he'll be fine again. We had a dog once that had congestive heart failure and he did very well on medication for a few more years.

    My wife got home from a 5-day hospital stay last week for a post-chemo fever. During the time she was in the hospital, our beagle got lethargic, was off her meals and had a flareup of her arthritis. I took her to the vet, but she didn't show a lot of improvement until my wife got home.


  • gawarrior
    gawarrior Member Posts: 368

    Weeedie, congrats! I hope you feel better quickly, but yay that you've made it through the first part of chemo!

    urdrago - there's a thread on medical marijuana on this site: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/136/topics/855207. I live in a state where you can have the oil for medical use, but that's all. I have no idea about it's use for chemo but I'd be open to it. I used to live in Colorado where it would have been so much easier to try it for this, but living in the Deep South makes it more difficult. I'm glad the prilosec is working for you!

  • duffyzmom
    duffyzmom Member Posts: 217

    Thanks All for the love. Yesterday was rough but in the evening I think the shot the vet gave him started to make a difference and hubby was able to hand feed him. I'm not sure if it was the antibiotics or the extra lasix. But at least it is progress. He says Thanks for the love.

    image

    Today I feel like the SE from round #2 are starting to improve. Yesterday was horrible sour stomach but I started Pepcid and did it every 6 hours and it seemed to help some. Today I'll try eating more.

  • ingerp
    ingerp Member Posts: 1,515

    Oh duffy--that face!! (And I didn't want to sound callous but we've gotten two great dogs from a DC-area lab rescue group and just got approved over the weekend to get another dog if/when we want. Of course I've been looking at some of their available animals. Some have suggested we bring another dog into the house before we lose the Corgi. Am I insane to be thinking in this direction? Not sure my husband is on board but there is one I keep looking at that I could probably arrange to meet this weekend. Thoughts?)

  • marie68
    marie68 Member Posts: 15

    Good morning from the west coast. Another dog lover here who actually got a puppy a month ago. It was supposed to happen after radiation was done but we got moved up the first litter. He's such a joy and so good for my kids. I know the pain of seeing an older dog decline. Hang in there.

    I go into my 4th of 4 infusions this morning and am anxious to get it behind me. Will try to do some icing -- feel silly for not doing it sooner. I don't think I have serious neuropathy (just some mild tingling once in a while) and my nail pain has also subsided but it seems like an easy thing to do. Will also try ice water for drinking to keep the mouth effects at bay. The nurses don't seem to support these cold treatments -- in fact I was offered hot soup during treatment...

    My WBC and neutrophils are good (7.6, 6.9) but not super high as they were after my first neaulasta shot so I think I'm going to go ahead and get it for this last round. The doc said on the one hand maybe it's not necessary since I'm not trying to stay on schedule any more, but on the other hand she doesn't think it's a good idea to be immune suppressed for longer than necessary after this last round. Any thoughts? Decisions, decisions.

    I'm fasting (well, tea and some miso soup) for 24 hours ahead and hopefully 24 hours after. This reduced my stomach issues for round 3 (although I never had bad nausea - but I needed less anti-nausea drugs to keep the stomach pains away) so hopefully it will help for this round as well.

    Good luck to everyone!!

  • falcon62
    falcon62 Member Posts: 1

    Hello Everyone,

    I dont know if I am on the right thread or not. But I am having a really bad time. I had Mastectomy of left breast April 9th Port installed May 14th started Chemo Taxotere and Cytoxan May 16th . I got deathly sick on the 2nd day after chemo. severe constipation, sore throat, mouth sores, nausea, bone pain and just overall weakness. cold clammy sweats. Today is the 22nd now I have a HORRIBLE yeast infection on my privates. They called me in some medication, helping but I really dont think I can do this. I am seriously considering stopping treatment

    Karen

  • duffyzmom
    duffyzmom Member Posts: 217

    Ingerp- I've only had Duffy so I'm in no way a dog expert. But I do know that his comfort to me as been invaluable.

    Marie68- I've considered the fasting and may bring it up with the doctor. He offered to reduce the dosage on the Taxotere since I seem to be having a lot of gastric issues with it. What is strange is Day 4 I crash with fatigue but then feel better Day 5 then Day 6 the stomach stuff starts. Today is Day 8 and I see the light at the end of this round but am not looking forward to repeating this process 4 more times. I think I'll ask him how reducing the dosage will affect my risk of recurrence. Let's just say it was much easier to cope with SE when I knew there was cancer in my body being attacked. My lumpectomy had clear margins and no lymph node involvement so I can't even envision the drugs attacking the cells.


  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 3,293

    Ingerp - I have a very very old English Setter (I used to have 3 dogs but the other two were even older & died in the past couple years) & just adopted an 8 month old lab cross a month ago, smack in the middle of my chemo. I had originally thought to wait between chemo & rads but this dog sounded perfect for us & so we went ahead with it.

    I put a pic of her up on the Feb thread https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics...

    She's been a lot of fun, is keeping me active mentally and physically and I tell everyone that she's a very good anti depressant. I want to eventually do agility and nosework with her but right now we're mostly working on manners lol. She's an adolescent dork who has not had much training.

    I do have a lot of family support to help out. I was hospitalized for 5 days about a week after she arrived & my family had to look after my silly pup for me. Dogs are my thing & my family knows that one of the biggest gifts they can give me is to make it possible for me to be surrounded by dogs.

    I'd say go ahead if you have enough resources and support to make it happen & to help you out if necessary.

  • life1963
    life1963 Member Posts: 364

    maria68

    Hello. I have struggled with body pain and cramping on my feet. I finished A/C and had my first treatment with Tax and have 3 more to go. The combination of nulesta and tax brought me to tears last weekend. How often should I drink the L-Glutinum powder? Also the tips of my fingers hurt. My nails continue to grow. Did you cut yours short or let them grow? This is all so very stressful and I feel so alone.

  • ingerp
    ingerp Member Posts: 1,515

    moth--beautiful goggy!! In my head I think the decision process is much as it would be absent my current BC fun--that, kind of like children, do you ever feel the time is exactly right? I mean, it's always easier with fewer dogs, and ones you already know, but at some point you kind of have to take the plunge, right? There will be a little friction whenever it happens--we need to get the invisible fence guys back out here (ours has been down for months but our current pups don't really roam), and we'd have to do some walking (we are fortunate to live rurally enough that we don't walk our dogs--just open the door and let them out). Part of me thinks of course we could delay until after tx but I think a bigger part of me thinks why? And there's the whole "is this our dog?" question. The lab rescue group we work with initially sent four candidates based on our parameters, but I found another one on their website that for some reason appealed to me. Another <minor> factor is that the rescue group is based in DC and we're in Charlottesville--it'll be a couple of hours each way just to look at a dog. But it *is* a three-day weekend coming up and I have nothing better to do. As of now my plan is to try to arrange to meet the dog this weekend and see where we go from there. . . (Fingers crossed that if I fall in love, hubs will too!!)

    <Apologies this turned into a dog thread!!>

  • marie68
    marie68 Member Posts: 15

    LIFE1963 - I had terrible bone pain after my 1st neulasta shot but daily claritan seems to really help -- many others say the same. I was told to take it but not early enough or long enough. I'm now just taking it daily until my treatments are over.

    My cancer naturopath recommends 30 g/day of the glutamine powder at the first sign of neuropathy. I dissolve 10 g (about a tablespoon) in water and drink it 3x/day. She referenced a study I can send you if you're interested. My nails are already short and the pain that I experienced a week ago has subsided. I'm also planning to do icing today for my last taxotere.

    Yes - very stressful and so much info to process and make decisions about. Hang in there -- this board has lots of good advice and support. Does your care center offer support groups? Mine pairs us with mentors who are at least a year out of treatment and that has made me feel less alone.


  • debal
    debal Member Posts: 600

    Falcon (karen), I am so sorry your first treatment was so rough. I am also on TC but it seems the pre- meds and prescriptions / instructions for managing side effects differ for each of us. Are you getting the neulasta shot the day after chemo? It seems that side effects hit day 3-7 for most. If you are following the instructions that were given to you and you are still feeling bad I would contact the office. Also, consider keeping a daily log of your symptoms the first week. That way you can duplicate the good things and change what didn't work for upcoming treatments. I will be glad to share what works for me if it could help you. Just send me a private message. I hope you feel better soon.

  • life1963
    life1963 Member Posts: 364

    No. I don't believe they do offer that. I went to a get together with other women fighting different cancers but none were like mine. It does put things into perspective hearing their stories but also can stress you out even more! Sounds like your one ahead of me on taxel. Will you be done after that or what is your next course of action? Did you only do 4 taxel? I did 4 A/C and just did my first of 4 Tax. Struggling with eating to. Everything tastes so salty to me. Ugg I dont know about you but I really miss things I enjoyed before all this started. Ugg

  • Engine104
    Engine104 Member Posts: 241

    Dear Duffysmom, What a cutie! I hope your dog continues to improve.

    Dear Falcon62, I am not going through this as you, my wife and so many other amazing women on here are, so I can't say (nor should I) that I know what you are going through. All I can tell you is my wife is also on TC. She developed thrush and a fever after her first infusion. I would talk to your doctor about this and see if they can make the second round easier with different meds to help with that and make the TC go easier. I know our onco told us that the goal is 6 rounds, but the therapeutic value of four rounds of TC is very similar to six, so if it is too hard, he said we can stop at four without much difference. You might want to ask the doctor about that in your case?

  • Djt
    Djt Member Posts: 176

    duffysmom, so glad both you and you r Duffy are improving. What a sweetheart he is. Glad you shared his little face. I think we all love him now.

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