Chemo starting April 2018
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Life- I've read lots of studies on timing of radiation. Most are based on timing between surgery and radiation so I"m not sure they are based on those of us who do Surgery/Chemo and Radiation. My MO was encouraging a month between final chemo and radiation starting. Like you I have a vacation that I'm trying to work around. So as long as I finish radiation by Canadian Thanksgiving I'll be happy.
Yes I'm on blood thinners Xarelto- which holy cow is expensive! I've got great insurance and my copay for 3 weeks is over $50. I don't think this will affect my treatment at all but I guess I'll have to wait and see what MO says when I see him before Round #4. I know this clot has been around for at least 4 weeks so I'm not too concerned - although now I'm concerned about being on the blood thinners long term. Neulasta pain seemed much worse this time but I'm wondering if that is also from the addition of the Xarelto.
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Hello all,
I am catching up as I have been off the boards for a couple of weeks and there appears to be a lot going on. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. I also have had some vision issues mainly with reading close up items. I also hope this is only temporary.
I had my first 3 week dose of Herceptin this week and mainly I feel ok. However, my feet are swelling when I am on them too long and have developed cankles!!! Is this normal? My hands and face are a little swollen too.
Enjoy your weekend everyone!
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Just re: timing of rads, I met with my MO yesterday and she said rads could start 2-3 weeks after chemo. She knows I’m trying to get this behind me so I’ll be trying to start two weeks after.
Good to hear about the swelling—they check my ankles but so far so good. I’ll remember to look for that when I move up to the every-three-weeks dosage. Seems like icing/elevation might help?
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Life, since your RO is okay with it, take the vacation. Goodness knows, this stuff is drudgery, and we deserve a break if our doctors okay it.
Had a wee bit of swelling in feet, but I attribute it to a poor diet as much as anything. Hope things will taste better this week. Also, the heat! Round 12 side effects were fatigue, but seem to be better today, so in the typical pattern.
Have a nice Canada Day or 4th of July or both!
Dee
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LIFE, congrats on finishing your chemo, that's awesome! That chili cook off your coworkers did was great - I can imagine you were crying. I would have, too.
Engine, I'm glad your wife seems to be doing good!
Positive, I looked up Herceptin SE's. It says about 10-20% of people get swelling in the hands, feet, or ankles and that you should call your MO if you get it. http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/hercep...
Duffy, I hope you're doing okay with the blood thinners. Yes, Xarelto is newer, so it's expensive. You could ask to switch to Coumadin (warfarin), but you'd have to go into the doctor at least weekly (maybe more that the beginning?) to have it monitored and the dosage adjusted until they found the right dose. That was the drawback to the older style of blood thinners. That $50 copay might be worth it to avoid those visit, lol. For a clot, I'll bet they will want you on the blood thinner for at least 3 -6 months... Be careful not to take too much vitamin E, ginko biloba, or aspirin while on a blood thinner - they can thin your blood even more. Hoping your Neulasta pain is much better by now.
Happy Canada Day! (Thanks, Dee, for mentioning it...stay cool, if you can!).
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Well, the third AC wasn’t as easy as the first two. One of my veins got internal scarring after the previous treatment and was unusable. I still have at least 2 good ones. Hope they will last through one more AC and 4 Taxols. The nurses say Taxol will be easier on the veins. It would suck to get a port for just 4 treatments. Fatigue is the main side effect so far. Drugged myself from the recliner yesterday morning for my 5 miles walk and strength exercises. Was functional for about 2 hours after it, then collapsed and napped through the next morning, it seems, with short break for food and pills. Today we have 96 degrees at 7 am, so no walk for me. Have to come up with a viable alternative while I am not asleep yet.
DUffy, hold on!
Life, congrats on finishing your chemo!
Ingerp, what type of radiation are you going to get: 3CRT or IMRT? I discussed it with my radiation oncologist, she says that I will get 3CRT, but I am also eligible for the proton radiation study, which produces fewer long term side effects. Ask if you are eligible for it as well. The study is called RADCOMP. I read about it, and I hope I’ll get selected
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Inna, sorry to hear about ur vein Im sure its probably painful.Hope for a quick healing.
Interp/ Inna, any radation information would be awesome if u could share since im not even there..lol
Life, congrats you've thru the tuff road!!! Woohoo
Gawarrior, hope ur having a uneventful SE's this weekend as I know ur fingers have been sensitive..
Granix shot help bring up my blood work. WBC. Platelets, and neutrophils. So happy, and me stop taking tylenol help with liver enzymes getting lower.. so I'm keeping fingers crossed I will be able to have chemo on Thursday..
Happy Canada Day. Or here Happy forth of July.. Im willing to send this heat wave back to anyone that wants it..105 to 115 F.
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Inna—I'm not familiar with those acronyms although looked them up and am not sure. What I remember from two years ago is the first 15/16 were proton—meant to shoot through the breast, and the last 5/4 boosts were electron, which are modulated to stop at the tumor bed. Last time was left side so I had to do the inflate-your-lungs-and-hold-your-breath thing, which wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. (It's to move your breast as far away from the heart as possible, but I won't have to do it this time.) Re: SEs, other than red skin and a little fatigue, it just was not that big a deal. We were getting ready for one of my kid's wedding that spring—AT MY HOUSE. I finished rads 10 days before the wedding. It was a really interesting time in my life. ;-)
P. S. Happy Canada Day to our Canucks and I’d be happy to send some of this heat north.
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Oh no, InnaB! I'm hoping your veins hold out! FWIW, I found AC #3 to be the worst one for me. The 4th was a piece of cake. I hope that's your experience, too. Rest up!
Urdrago, hoping you're feeling good today, I'm super glad your liver enzymes are down. Fingers crossed for your next T on Thursday!
I'm doing fine with T #2 - no SE's, except that I've been very tired since the infusion. I walked (dragged myself) about 4 miles through a park with a friend yesterday, then we went to lunch and that completely wore me out. It's aggravating, because that used to be nothing for me to do. Today, I'm spending the day on the couch, resting. The L-gutamine is helping - my nail beds aren't as sore as they have been. I get T #3 on Thursday.
IngerP, I have no idea how you held a wedding at your house after treatment! Amazing.
Happy 4th to y'all. It'll be a hot one here in Atlanta, but I know other parts of the country are baking more (my uncle told me Denver had 105 the other day - unheard of there!).
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Ingerp, I am willing to bet that the first 15 many years ago were photons, not protons. Previously they used protons on tumors only, now they started the study on people like us: post op with no tumors. They were also using protons on kids’ tumors,that’s how they know there are very low chances of radiation induced cancers.
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Inna—yes that was an autocorrect. I was amazed at the science of it all, and remember meeting one of the PhD physicists in the hall one day.
GAW—as wacky as that spring was, in a way it worked out great. I couldn’t obsess too much about either the BC *or* the wedding. They were each a good distraction from the other. (And there were especially interesting days, like when I signed the paperwork for a re-excision on my lumpectomy and drove straight to pick up my son’s wedding band. :-)
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Hello everyone,
I missed out on quite a bit here, but I see everyone is doing okay.. kind of.
We found a tiny lump 4 mm on my other breast. I went through the US, BIRADs then biopsy and then the wait for the results. Ten days that showed me how I have changed as a person. I had tears all through the time I was on that bed first for the US and later for the biopsy. I could not stop myself from tearing up in front of the lab technicians and the doctors. Ughgh... I was not like that.Well, the lump is benign. Yayyyy.
Had a good weekend after the crazy 2 weeks. My kid went for her first gymnastics competition and had lots of fun. So did we. It was fun to see all the little ones doing their routine.
Going in for Taxol 6 in a few hours.
Lots of hugs
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Oh, Frog, so sorry you had to go through this! Congrats on benign lump! Stay strong
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ok ladies, i too a leap and bought fake lashes , sections (looks like three or four lashes )so i can apply more or less as needed & comes with different lengths.... mind u at first the time it took was an hour of figure this stuff out. But afterwards i have lashes and doesnt look too bad. Add mascara to what little lash i have and then glue tip of false and stick.. My sunday evening..lol
Hope everyone is doing well..hugs and good vibes to all!
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Frog, whew!!! I’m glad the finding was benign! Thank goodness.
Dee
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Has anyone with a port thought about when to get it out? I have 6 more months of Herceptin, but I really would like it out soon after. I’ve had no problems with the port, and for me, it’s been very helpful. But by the time I finish all my treatments, I’ll have put over 5000 miles of driving in, over a year—about 100 hours of driving and 250 hours of various appointments. Having to go in for a flush means more time and more driving (no one will go near it except the cancer center). I know there is also a small infection or breaking risk over time (not really my main concern). It doesn’t hurt, so I’d be fine to leave it for a short while after. But I don’t want it there long term. How about you guys?
Dee—wondering if I already asked this and forgot, lol
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hello to all, for starters I thank you all for your answers for my eyes issues and of course for all your support and I'm planning to answer to everybody.
Here is a quick update: as you know I had finished 12 weekly taxol at 15th June. Then I had a 2 week break and on friday I've started FEC. As I wrote my onc offered me 2 ways: 4 doses every 15 days or 8 weekly doses (with less SE as we cut the dose in 2). I prefered the second one, so I've started last Friday the 1st weekly dose of FEC (as my onc told me that the outcome is the same)
my experience so far. Taxol is not a breeze. I wrote before all the SE I've had. Now so far for FEC: 1st and 2nd days had a little nausea well managed by meds andI went for long walks both days. My appetite was on and off and had little constipation. Third day passed almost sleeping and little bone pain but that was all. It wasnt at all the restless feeling I had with taxol. Today (day 4) I had my white cells shot and didnt go to work so I could have more rest. oh I forgot to tell you that my urine was red only 2 times from the FEC because I drink lots and lots of water. I hope FEC goes that way for the next 7 treatments. Anyone who has questions about taxol or anything I could help feel free to ask and of course anyone who had FEC feel free to give me any advise
Hope that you all had a nice weekend and wishing us all to have a nice week
p.s. I hopemy english make sense (as you know there are not my mother language)
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Ingerp, GAWarrior, Life thank you so much for your answers for my eye issues. I m so worried about it. You see, I'm a lot short shighted and see flies and dots all the time..my onc reassures me its from chemo but...you know...I'm always worried... thank you
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Frog, so very happy the results was benign, so sorry you had to revisit that kind of terror and anguish. You are strong,hope you are looking forward to good days with your family fun gymnastics, kids,... enjoy and relax.
Deborah
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Hi all. Urdrago and Duffysmom, so sorry to hear about your set backs, hoping and praying for you both that these issues clear up soon. So many, going through so much.
I finished chemo, and had a radiation consult appointment 48 hours later. That last chemo did. Me in. I had a complete meltdown at appointment at radiation. I was just drained and wondered if it was all worth it, will IT COME BACK.
i got so disoriented by the end of the cat scan, (that I didn't know was coming,) pictures of breasts, and male tecs, and the overall weakness of just trying not to fall on the floor, by the time i was done i could barely see, didnt know where i was, didn't recognize the waiting room or see my guy waiting. I saw my truck out the window and wandered out to it. He found me a half-hour later. Bad week. Bad bad week.
Good news is should finish radiation by Aug 30. I know we all have our fears, and scary moments, I'm glad you all have shared your s with each of us. Many of you guys are winding down your treatments CONGRATS and hope for us all.
💐🏵🌸💐🏵🌸💐🏵🌸
Deborah
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Deborah, IT WILL NOT COME BACK! We are doing everything possible to beat it down. And it will stay down!
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Inn a, thank you. I needed that, it made my day. 🌺
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Thank you lovely ladies for your wishes.
Deborah, a big hug to you.Look how far you have come. You will be fine, stay strong.
Urdrago, go have fun with those lashes. I myself was thinking of getting some magnetic ones. I wonder what they hold on to when there is nothing.
So, over the weekend we went into an electrical appliance store and I was roaming around and found myself in front of the hair straigtheners on sale.
Me: Thats an amazing discount.... oooh ceramic, I heard that is good....I like it, maybe I should buy one after all, its a really good buy.
Then the bulb goes on.... yeah keep walking, you dont have hair, you saved 75 $ on top of the discount right there.
Wishing all of us minimal SEs
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Frog- i laughed so hard when I read u bulb moment....bcuz I had one as well..Im watching about eyelash applications that switched over to beauty & new hair cut for about an hour..than. i thought duh u dont have hair to cut.. there goes another 60 minutes ..
I went to Ulta asked about magnetic lashed but u need some lashes to hold on to..I cldnt do that bcuz mine are very thinned out and limited ..If u do get lashes goto Walgreens its cheaper and get the black colored glue name brand "kiss"..I you tubed the information..plus do ur make up/eyeliner of upper lid than apply individual or strip of eye lashes..
Good vibes heading to everyone.
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On the lash issue, sort of.. My wife bought something in the make-up section the other day that looks like a large sharpie (That's the best description I can come up with being a guy
) . It is some sort of eyebrow tattoo? It looks pretty good. We saw the onco today. He's happy with how the 2nd round went and we should be able to do the 3rd round on the 11th, pending labs next week. He did say that the terrible constipation my wife had the last round was very unusual with TC. That certainly doesn't seem to be the case from what some of you have posted on here, not to mention my wife's experience. I wonder, if it is not from the TC, but maybe the steroids or the anti-nausea meds?
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thanks and hello ladies, and Engine. A quick share on eyebrow makeup as long as it's being discussed....I had bought the very inexpensive ELF brow kit, (contains a pomade ,dip type dense creame, and a lighter setting powder) and found the idea and concept good, but the little applier wand ineffective. So I tried using an eyebroW brush (the long kind with one side a little brush, and the other a tiny comb, also by ELF, 1.00) i rubbed the brush across the brow pomade and just lightly combed over my very lightly existing brow. Then use the setting powder with the original little wand in the kit. Perfect, very real and great color, no rub off. Total cost $4.00. Best to all.
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Djt, thanks for the advise.i go the brush and add color but they rub off before I get home..
Engine, sorry I cannot help as Im struggling with learning about faking my eyelashes and eyebrows..lol
Im going to be butt bald in ever area.. And its not by choice...ugh!!! This is one way to learn about ur body...
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NoteRed, I’m glad the Taxol is done! It sounds like the FEC is much better and has fewer side effects thus far. The last week of Taxol hit hard for me, but I think I’m doing better every day. Since the FEC is weekly, maybe that helps?
Deborah, it preys on my mind. All of this driving and appointments and treatment...it’s about done me in (particularly with ongoing challenges at work). I’ve planned some good things with my family after Herceptin is done in February to get past this and get on with life. And for inexpensive makeup, ELF has some decent stuff!
Frog: yeah, exactly, except with me it was nice shampoos.
Engine, it could be the Zofran...I cut back just a bit on dose, and it helped.
Urdrago: How’s Taxol going for you
Dee
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astyanax66 - i have bone pain and neuropathy but in neuropathy mainly in middle of my body .. so thighs and upper arms.. i had tooth extracted due to doc. didnt do his job over the last 2 years and my low immune system allowed for abscess..my WBC and Platelets are back up, thanks to granix injection.. Gawarrior showed me a link regarding taxol and tylenol cuz liver enzymes to increase.. Which for me they did, so i stopped taking tylenol.. blood ALt and ASt are heading back to normal.
But my muscles feel weak so I need to increase my movement.. my thoughts.also had sensitivity of under nail only one finger began today.. not sure what thats about..
honestly. i do feel good with all the hiccups..Im still working and doing most things myself.. its just me and my dog.. family is supporting as needed..i will.probanly use them once i have surgery😉
Plan is Chemo on Thursday and keep on counting down my weeks..
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Tylenol, paracetamol, acetaminophen whatever they are known by, they are processed by the liver. Too much of tylenol can lead to liver toxicity thats why they ask to stick within 4000 mg in 24 hours. Less if you also have alcohol. Taxol leads to liver toxicity. I try to alternate between paracetamol and ibuprofen. Also, Ibuprofen is not good for people with asthma or wheezing problems just to keep in mind
Thank you for all the suggestions on eyebrows.
Anybody has swollen fingertips? Not the nailbeds, the finger pads? Also, is anybody else on Zoladex?
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