Chemo starting April 2018
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GAWarrior, glad Taxol round 1 was okay. Yes, it's been really nice to cut back on the predose stuff. I sure don't miss the mega-steroids. I am glad I had them through the first round or two, though. Oh, and 17 year old has had perfect teeth all his life--and found out he has 3 cavities yesterday! Yikes! I think his sealant wore out...?
NoteRed and Life--it hits at the strangest times, so hugs to you both. Some moments, I forget all about it. Other times, it crashes down. I admit, today wasn't a great day--had to get my routine echocardiogram (which is really non-invasive) and had a mini-meltdown after. Just...one more thing and one more stranger poking and prodding, I guess. InnaB and GAWarriorwrote it up pretty well, I think. Sometimes the terror of recurrence really gets me down. Other days, I realize I'm getting excellent treatment and will be okay. It's such a yoyo effect.
NoteRed, by the way, Greece is definitely on my must see list. I loved my Greek history courses, I've taught myself a bit of reading (badly, very badly), and love Greek food! I want to play in that beautiful water.
Urdrago, I'm very interested to hear what your doctor says--that happened to me (AST/ALT)--they went bonkers after treatment 1, but then they calmed down after 2 weeks. Both were absolutely normal this past week. But yes, she said if the 'pattern' had continued, she'd want to do more tests. Since things cleared up, she said it was just a "shock" to my liver. I am so sorry about your bone pain. I'm not sorry I asked for a stronger pain medication to use--cautiously. It has sure helped, even just a half a dose once or twice on bad days. Waiting around for results--it just stinks.
So, I am rewatching all of Babylon 5 with my son (a couple of episodes a day), and also a favorite TV show of mine from childhood, Rat Patrol (Utterly inaccurate history, but quite fun). I've not knitted, nor written short stories, nor done anything except grade some papers as far as being productive. Oh, the heck with it. My husband thinks it's "unhealthy" to watch TV as an escape, but I don't care right now, lol. At least son and I talk about the storylines and such!
Hope all have a good weekend,
dee
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Gawarrior, thanks for the info. I do take tylenol but today my MO said i could take Aleve for my bone pain so i was going to stop the tylenol and see of it helps my liver. Maybe by next tuesday when i get blood work done the ALT/AST will drop. Sorry u don't have a supportive PA. I'm sure that wld get under my skin and I wld have to of said something aloud by now.. second of all wtf a nurse not knowing a little about the patient or diseases that effect the ppl which pay her bills. I guess she doesn't love her job, and needs a new one!! Ugh. Dislike her...
I called a Plastic surgeons office which the admin didn't know what procedures where performed..i didn't comment but "Red flags" went off in my head and i said heck no that office is not for me. Plus the surgeon didn't have all the options i wanted.
Dee- I will keep u posted . My MO ran a second test today at Chemo as a confirmation it wasn't just a freak occurence. All prior blood test for ALT/AST were fine. I'm staying positive just another speed bump to manage thru..
Hugs have a good weekend!!💕
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Hello!
NoteRed Greece!!! WOW! That is cool. I live in Wyoming. We are all so far and yet so close. Yes. I am doing chemo. I have already did 4 A/C and 3 DD Taxel. One more to go! Wishing you the very best tomorrow.
GaWarrior you had me in stitches when you were telling us about your dripping nose and working on a patient.
Engine how is your wife feeling? Hope all is good with her. She has been through so much. Happy Birthday!!
Undrago71. You also have gone through so much! Here is hoping your blood test come out good and you can keep powering through your treatments and get done.
Frog-On-A-Pond. Thank you for reposting the finger nail advice. I greatly appreciate it.
So after reading all your replies of your fears and anxieties you all are going think I am nuts when I share mine but here is goes. I too fear reaccurrance. Every new feeling I feel in my body I think oh no! Did I make the right decision going with a lumpectomy? I think if I am ever faced with all this again down the road how in the h*ll am I going to do it?! Will all this treatment leave permanent problems that is going to change my life? Will I get to do what I love again or is that gone forever because my body can't hang? Will taking a hormone blocking pill for the next 10 years of my life completely zap my sex drive to where I can never be close to my BF in that area again? I know that a 2B stage is early detection and my ON says my curable is a high yet still all this goes through my head. I also know deep inside this could be a lot worse and I really just need to suck it up. These thoughts can drive a person crazy and they bring me to tears.
InnaB thank you for encouraging me to share my thoughts and fears. Hopefully it was not to much of a overload for everyone. I know everyone is struggling and fighting their own personal battles with all this as well.
I have said it before and I will say it again. I am sooo glad I found all of you. You all in each of your own way encourage me, comfort me, and sometimes crack me up!
Here is hoping anyone going through treatment this week have a weekend of null to none side effects. For those waiting on test results may you have a peaceful weekend.
Have a wonderful weekend Everyone!
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LIFE - for me it seems to be cyclical - just about every few weeks I panic. Did I make the right call on the Lumpectomy? I read scholarly articles on timing on radiation. Risk factors for recurrence etc . Hubby knows if I have my laptop out and I'm quiet for long periods I've probably dropped down the rabbit hole of what ifs.
Udrago- I'm so glad to hear you are getting some of your treatment at UofM. Both of my kids are graduates and I know from my bout with lymphoma their cancer center is top rate. If you ever need anything when in Ann Arbor let me know. I'd be willing to run over to help or just lend support. I'm hoping your liver enzyme issue is temporary.
GAWarrior - Wine&Dine has always been on my bucket list. I've heard mixed reviews on it since it was moved to daytime. So hopefully your experience is a good one. I'm looking for a half to train for in October. Mainly to give me something to focus on during radiation. I'll be in Michigan Mon-Fri during radiation so I'll need something to do when I'm not being radiated.
Have a great weekend all. Our forecast is dreary so I'm looking forward to World Cup viewing and possibly finally getting out to see Solo.
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NoteRed, would you believe me if I told you I had to go on vacation to Greece and had to cancel it because of chemo? It was supposed to have been an Adriatic Sea cruise starting in Venice. The ports were Athens, Kotakolon, Olympia, Dubrovnik and Split. I think I am forgetting one more stop, but it's irrelevant now. 7 days on the ship and 3 days in Venice. My whole family was looking forward to it. I booked it last November. Thank God I bought insurance in January. I told my husband and son they should go without me, but they refused. It was supposed to start on June 30. My MO said no way, possibility of infection is too high, plus, if I need medical attention, it would be too complicated to arrange it, especially if I still be at sea. I cried and said good bye to my Greece, Croatia and Venice... Hopefully I'll try again next year.
Life, you are almost done, stay strong! One meager treatment, and you are free from chemo. What’s next for you, rads, hormone therapy? 2 more AC and 4 Taxols for me. I keep thinking, only 6 more crappy weeks (and 6 ok ones in between). I can do this! This is just a temporary stop in my life cruise.
I love you, ladies and Engine! You are such an inspiration to me
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Hi everyone,
Thanks so much for the birthday wishes and thoughts.
I gave my wife her first injection of Filgrastrim this morning. It was pretty easy to do. I just wish they would have given me a Sharps container. Hopefully, she won't get any SEs from that and that it will keep her counts from falling so precipitously this round.
The only SEs so far from the second round of TC are some mouth dryness and constipation. Hope that's all she gets. We could use an easy round this time.
Wishing you all a restful and SE-free weekend!
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hello again and thank you all fir your kind words and courage.
Inna I wish you that next year you ll have that nice trip here in Greece
Life its so nice to see that someone although living so far , understands you. Hope you are doing well today
Astyanax I am wishing you to come here in Greece and have a wonderful time ... you sure know that your nickname is a greek word meaning "king of the city"...
Today my onc told me that I have a choice of doing FEC every 2 weeks or to split it in weekly doses to minimize possible SE. Have you ever heard of this?
Hope you all have a nice weekend - thank you for your positive thoughts and if any of you come to Athens just send a message so we can at least have a coffee together :
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InnaB. You are absolutely right! That is a very smart way of looking at all this! My dad always says live your life today and let tomorrow take care of itself. He just finished chemo a month ago for lung cancer. He feels the way you do about it as well. Short lived and he will move on. I had a non sleeping night last night with all that negative BS running through my head. Today I had a pep talk with myself and I also prayed for strength, courage and Peace.
I just set up my console opt with the rad dr for next Tues. I will find out more then.
Treatment plan from beginning was surgery, chemo, rads and hormone blocking pill for 10 years. I am 54 and have had a hysterectomy 12 years ago but kept my ovaries so not sure which pill yet.
Thank you again for your encouraging words. I guess I was so frightened of the word chemo when I heard it that I created an emotional rollercoaster of problems for myself by over thinking the worst. You all are out here doing it too and are making me realize slowly but surely that it is doable, and then ya move on.
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So, the TC after-effects hit today on schedule. My wife is very tired and very constipated. She also had that the first round. She's taken Miralax yesterday and today, so far, not much success. I wish there was something more I can do. I know it's normal and expected, but it is hard to not be able to help.
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Engine Bless your heart! You are such a kind soul and a wonderful husband.
I had to drink a ton of water to get things going. It wasn't easy cuz you dont feel like doing it but it helps things along.
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Engine, i have the same problem with getting everything to flush out, even with tons of water. So my new remedy prunes with something hot right after I eat them first thing in morning. I also eat raisin bran cereal for breakfast..Hope u find something that help her, i know how tuff it can be..
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Undrago I completely forgot I also started eating rasin bran for breakfast! Maybe that is what worked.
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Happy belated birthday, Engine! It was this Friday, wasn’t it? My solution to constipation: yogurt in the morning, chopped beets (boiled or roasted) with prunes and olive oil for lunch, salad for dinner, 3 Colace a day (regardless whether i went or not), and a Probiotic pill. I take Colace for 5 days starting the day of chemo and ending the day I don’t need Zofran. I find it’s best to take all precautions before the big C even starts. I came to this regimen the hard way after being on opioids for 2 months after a back surgery. That time, I almost gave myself another hernia trying to go to the bathroom. This time I am being proactive about it.
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Thanks, everyone. I relayed the info to my wife. The dam is still in place so far this morning.
She's not hungry (The tastebuds taking a vacation, thing), but I'll try to get her to eat some prunes and raisin bran
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Hi everyone, just checking in on my April chemo group. It is weird to think if I wasn't done with my 4 TC that tomorrow would have been #5. It's been 3 weeks, hair is coming back which it sort of had started during chemo. Been taking arimidex for 10 days now with no side effects but only time will tell. I did breakdown and buy a morning and evening weekly pill container. I'm officially my mom now. It does seem strange, but good to have the chemo stage behind me. Still exchange surgery next month. I didn't go back real far in the thread but I did see raisin bran lol I ate it everyday!. It has a fair amount of iron in it too. I also broke down once and bought those small can of Prune juice and chugged one of those once or twice. I hope everyone is doing ok with minimal side effects and that you are able to enjoy some of your weekend. Hang in there and hugs to all.
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Hi everybody. I got to hang out this weekend with my little sister and it was awesome. It's just what the doctor ordered. Feeling much better and ready to take on my final chemo treatment this Thursday. I have an appointment with the radiation doctor Tuesday to find out my next treatment plan. Didn't really eat all that healthy this weekend. But she made the best chicken nachos and I wasn't about to turn them down. I'll get back to healthy again this week. Not a lot of cardio going on but we did do a lot of shopping so I guess that counts.:-)
Hope everyone had a very relaxing, minimal side effect weekend!
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I'm think this could be more than constipation. I think it could be a impacted, so off to the ER/Urgent Care at Kaiser again in the morning
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Hi everyone. I haven’t posted in a while but I check in and read posts every few days to catch up.
There is so much going on with you all that I don’t know how you can differentiate who’s doing what. I applaud you all for keeping track and responding to each person. I am grateful to be able be part of this group (even though I know none of us wants to be dealing with this sh*t)
I understand the lonely feeling. I have a great support system but none of them really understand. I too have moments of panic. Especially this last week. I have been very lucky to have minimal SEs and after 3 Tx I felt better than I had in a year... then my shoulder pain has started to return. I feel psychotic wondering if the cancer is fighting back. I’m still new to this. And I’m not ready to cash in my chips. And now that I’m on the downhill portion of Tx (#4 of 6 will be in Tuesday) what next?Ok enough. Happy thoughts.😌
So, I pose a question: has anyone made a major change to their diet after the diagnosis? I’ve seen docs and read articles about different dietary options (i.e. Keto, paleo) and while they make it seem so amazing, it seems like such a huge undertaking that I don’t even know how to begin eating better. Plus all I want is greasycheeseburgers for days after Tx. MO told me not to worry about changing diet but I have always felt like I need to eat better.
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Oh Engine, I’m so sorry! Hoping Shes not impacted. Best of luck.
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Oh, Engine, not again! Hope your wife is ok.
Life, chicken nachos and a company sound awesome! Glad you had some fun
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Engine, yes, it's worth checking. Mine was impacted, but not obstructed. I ended up drinking Gatorade and Miralax, which resolved things within 24 hours. But it was horrible, by far the worst thing on this whole roller coaster. Hope she's better soon!
FDwithFurKids, good to hear from you! Well, I can't keep things straight at all...I just try to write something when it's on my mind. ;0 Actually, chemo has changed my diet. I probably won't go 100% vegetarian after chemo is done, but I have cut way back on meat, especially anything charred or smoked. Honestly, it doesn't taste good. I have eaten enriched pasta/grains, mostly for the vitamins. If I have eaten meat, it's been something with flavoring (like a couple of meatballs), mostly for the iron. I have not been able to eat fruit--a summer mainstay--it's just too acidic and burns my mouth. I've been eating a lot of yogurt, and that's a keeper. So, I do not plan to go keto, paleo, whole 30, blah blah. But I do plan to eat way more fruits and vegetables and healthy grains (we had quinoa pizza, and that was excellent) and keep dairy for the calcium and protein, especially once I start an aromatase inhibitor, limiting meat to a couple times a week, and ditto on the tofu--excellent source of iron, but too much can also increase estrogen. I have cut out all sodas (unless I'm sick) and artificial sweeteners. Small changes, along with exercise as soon as I can get this anemia gone.
Life, sounds like an excellent weekend all around!
dee
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Hello to all again,
Engine hope is just constipation and your wife didnt have to go to hospital
I have a stiff neck from yesterday morning and a little headache and dizzyness and of course a lot of anxiety because of that....you see every pain, every disturbance leads to anxiety... I'm still having a 2 week break from chemo since I 've finished taxol and waiting for FEC to start.
As I see no one heard of weekly FEC....is there anybody that have done FEC every 2 weeks?? what should I expect?
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This is an off the wall question--for those taking Herceptin or something similar, I am guessing you, like me, have to get an echocardiogram every 3 months. Has anyone had a problem with the procedure? I'd had one before, and it was nothing--completely painless and required nothing other than some gel. My baseline one before Herceptin required using IV Definity, and I asked if it could be skipped this time due to some issues. So, this time, the scanner had to be pushed deep into scar tissue. That was...a problem. I'm not sure what to do except ask to use another facility (my center has 3). I'm hoping this hasn't been an issue for anyone else.
dee
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FD, I was glad to see your post. As we start the "downhill" of completing chemo my focus changed a bit too. At first it's dealing with chemo side effects then starting AI's. I always cared about making a few needed changes to my diet but didn't have the mindset to focus on it for long. (3 weeks out from last chemo) Now I'm all about making a few changes and continuing my exercise routine. I bought the book that others raved about " how not to die" by gregor I believe. What I like is that it breaks down not just breast cancer but other diseases and conditions (hubby has heart issues) . It's a very interesting read and I even brought out a highlighter lol. Looks like you are on the right track. I'm glad you are on the downhill of chemo! Deb
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Thanks everyone!
Just got back from the hospital. The combination of the miralax and an enema at the ER seems to have started to resolve the problem. It was, as Dee wrote, pretty painful. Neither of us have slept for the last two nights. I think she's on the mend now, Thank God.
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Oh, dang. I'm sorry. I have to say, it was my worst side effect and definitely one of the most painful things I've ever experienced. Get some rest!
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Hi friends, one and all...it's been a while for me on here.
So very distressing to see all your wife and you have endured Engine. I hope now you can get the rest and relief you both need ....your wife has endured so much. And that it's uphill now for her.
Hope everyone had a decent weekend and continuing to put one foot in front of the other the best way possible. Looking for those little rays of sunny moments in each day. Saturday, I took my grandson to see the new Dispicible2 movie, for just a few minutes he lays his 11 year old head on my shoulder, just us, just a quick snuggle. Wow, what a sunny moment that gave me. It's the little things......
So my last chemo is tomorrow morning. I pray my blood counts are okay to go through it. My other Dr. In my team, called already to set me up for my radiation itinerarie on this Thurstay, talk about not missing a beat! Pushing ahead, but I think they said a month off before first radiation. Still have to find out about the hormone blocking pill for 5 or 10 years, it has yet to be discussed.
To all of my cohorts from April's starting point, hang in there, praying and good wishes for you ALL.
Deborah
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Dee, sorry about your son's cavities! Yes, sealants can wear out...but also make sure he's not drinking a lot of sports drinks or sodas or doing a lot of snacking between meals because that can do it, too.
Thinking about you, urdrago, as you get your ALT/AST done tomorrow. Praying it's dropped significantly!
NoteRed, we were in Athens several years ago and loved seeing the Acropolis. We took the train from the port - that was an experience (very crowded!). I want to go back and take a cruise around the Greek Isles someday. InnaB, you'll love the cruise when you get to do it. We saw several of the cities you were going to visit - loved the Adriatic. I'm sad that you didn't get to go - I was lucky my MO let me go on our cruise after my first chemo, but his concerns were the same as your doctor's - what would I do if I needed medical attention?
NoteRed, re your question about splitting doses - my MO is splitting my Taxol into 12 weekly doses, but I had the choice of doing that or splitting it into 4 doses, given every 3 weeks. He said the SEs would be much easier to deal with if I did weekly doses, so that's what I chose. I imagine it would be the same with your FEC - more dramatic side effects if you do dose dense (when it's given every 2 or 3 weeks). If it's anything like the AC I did - keep a diary of your symptoms every day and what meds you took. Then you can refer back to it when you get the next dose (the SE's don't vary too much). I felt groggy on infusion day and the next day, but I worked both days and was fine. I was also nauseous the first 4 days. I felt like I had the flu starting on the afternoon of Day 3 (infusion day was counted as Day 1) and I stayed on the couch all day on Day 4. The "flu" lasted about 24 hours. I was also lightheaded and tired on those "flu" days. Take your nausea meds exactly as they tell you (it takes them forever to work if you don't take them and then find that you are nauseous, so keep them in your system). Constipation was a BIG issue for me on AC, so watch for that. I also got mouth sores after the 3rd and 4th infusions. Once I got into DAy 5, my symptoms lessened every day. If your FEC is being split into 6 doses, your SE's may not be as dramatic, though.
Engine, so sorry about your wife, but I'm hoping she's better now.. I can relate - I've been super-constipated to the point of near-impaction on the last 2 ACs and this first T. I take 4 colace daily, have a capful of miralax every night (it takes me about 3 days before this kicks in), eat 4 prunes a day, eat bran muffins - all starting the day before the infusion and continuing until I'm able to go regularly (then, I just stop the miralax, but continue with everything else, every day). I haven't had to go to the ER yet, but I was pretty sure I was going to have to this weekend (thankfully, I didn't, but you don't want the details of how I stayed out of the ER). Be sure she's drinking at least 2 liters of water daily, too.
LIFE, glad you enjoyed time with your sister! You're almost done with chemo - so happy for you!
DebAL, glad you're doing well and that your hair is growing back. My eyebrows are now starting to depart, so I'm jealous that you're growing hair!
FD, I asked my MO about changing my diet (Paleo, etc). He says to just eat healthy but not follow a specific diet, so I've just gone organic as much as possible. I've also reduced my sugar intake and will try to reduce my white flour/dairy once this is all done.
Djt, glad you're almost done with your chemo - remember how scared you were and now you're at the finish line! Congrats! Love your snuggle story with your grandson.
I'm on Day 5 of T #1 and doing awesome! I had a really great weekend. Fingers crossed it continues after T #2 on Wed...
Hugs to you all!
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Thanks again, everyone. It was really bad for the last three days. The thing is, I was going to run out on Saturday and buy a Fleet enema, but one of the websites I looked at said M.D. Anderson didn't recommend an enema for people on chemo. Now I wish I did buy it because that's what they used at the ER.
The good news, other than the impaction getting resolved, is I think the Neupogen did the trick and kept her counts from getting too low this round.
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Hi all..I'm also going on my 2nd treatment of ct. Do any of youhave to take a steroid pill the night before your infusion? I
wasn't told today that I would have to so if I did have to maybe
they can just give it to me thru infusion. That happen last time
to me. The doctor let it go. Just wondering. You all are such wonderful
and kind friends. So happy I found this blog. The best.
Prayers and Love to you all
Diane
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