Starting Chemo May 2019
Comments
-
Jrominger, ugh the hot flashes are annoying. I'm glad that Nat has energy and feels relatively well. Hope you both have a lovely day.
Hey brittandherboobs! Sorry about your PICC line. I think you'll be happy with a port. The first day that I had mine placed was awkward. Not really painful. Sort of like I had a stiff neck. I didn't want to turn my head. I don't even notice that I have it now.
UpstateNYer, the third time's the charm! Praying that the savi scout placement on Monday and surgery on Wednesday are a breeze. If you share your concerns with your doctor, they will likely order something to take beforehand to help you relax.
Hi LaCombattante! You live in a beautiful area to go hiking. I'm glad that you are able to do so. Praying the fatigue will pass quickly.
MountainMia, enjoy the time with your buddies! How do you feel about starting radiation?
I feel good today, despite not sleeping well. I don't like taking the steroid. My MO lowered my dose. Can't wait until I am weaned off of it. The blinking light from my Neulasta drove me mad. Lol. It's nice and quiet here today.
My girls are pretty much ready for school. We're still going through their clothes to donate and taking inventory to see what they need. Little bit grew like a weed this summer! They have all of their supplies and enough new clothes to get them started.
Much love to everyone.
0 -
UpstateNYer, just said a prayer for you. I hope today goes well without pain and fear.
Jrominger, have a safe trip to and from the treatment center. I want Nat to tolerate treatment well with no or minimal SE.
Be well everyone.
0 -
UpStateNYer: praying that marker placement procedure is smooth and fast, and with minimal discomfort.
Jrominger: thinking about Nat today, praying that today's infusion goes well, with no SEs.
Sending healing thoughts and positive vibes to all, please be well
0 -
lacombattante and Happyanyway thank you so much for your prayers. We just arrived in Phoenix 2.5 hr drive. It’s hot!! Port access at noon. Infusion at 3!! Hope you two are doing amazing!! Can’t wait to get back to 7000 feet and upper 70s Px is 113 today
UpstateNYer constantly in prayer for you and thank you for your prayers for Nat. Please keep us posted You are so much in our minds and prayers.
0 -
hi all,
Happyanyway, Lacombattant, Jrom, Thanks to all for your well wishes and prayers.
Had Savi Scout placed this morning. It was not pleasant. They could not see the clips on the films that surgeon told me were there. They must have taken 15 radiographs. I feel like I should be glowing right now. I had to remain compressed for several minutes while radiologist determined how needle would go in. It was not this bad the last time I had it done. Anyway, glad it is over. On to surgery on Wednesday.
Lacombattant and Happyanyway- how are you both feeling today? Positive vibes coming your way.
Jrom- praying that Nat's infusion goes well. Try to stay cool if that's possible. Hoping for minimal se's for her as well. You will get through it.
Mountainmia- glad you spent time with friends. You are a week ahead of me with regard to finishing chemo. I will be starting radiation probably early September. Hope yours goes smoothly.
Everyone is in my daily prayers. 💞
0 -
I think I had some of the Taxol blues this weekend, so I didn't check in, BUT:
UpstateNYer- you're in my prayers today for savi scout placement.
Brittandherboobs- thanks for the compliment! Congrats on finishing AC and may your port placement go smoothly.
LaCombattante- prayers for a smooth treatment tomorrow.
Jrominger- prayers to Nat for treatment today (at least you don't have to do it outside! :P)
MountainMia- may your rads setup appointment go well this week.
Sending all of you healing thoughts!!0 -
The hot flashes are a doozy today friends! 29 degrees C in my little corner of southern Ontario.
Hope everybody’s well today. Looks like there are a few procedures and infusions happening today... hope they come and go with no problems or pain. Today I’m wishing you guys lived closer, it’d be great to meetup for a cold iced tea.
Today’s day 4 after my final AC and I feel pretty okay. My latest strategy has been to just keep myself as busy as possible. So today is a beach day with the boyfriend and his kiddos (8 and 3).... busy indeed 😁 huge props to the moms out there going through chemo... I don’t know how you keep up.
0 -
UpstateNYer. Thank you for the update. Glad that is over for you!! Praying Wednesday will be easy and the results miraculous.
Palmetto. I’m just the hubby but man do I get blue a few times a week. I just hide it. Nat and I have been best friends since high school and married 37 years. I just hate this part of our story and it crushes me to see her hurting in any way. I’m very grateful she is the tough one. You have the right to be down for a bit. BUT all of us will overcome this “bump” in the road!!
Britt getting those Red Devils out of the way is fabulous!! Ice tea in Canada or N. AZ sounds like the ticket!! Beach day sounds amazing.
We are waiting on blood results then chemo at 3!
Blessings to everyone 🙏
0 -
Thanks for the prayers, Palmetto. Savi scout placement was rough, and glad it is over. I have been icing my breast, so it is feeling better. Taxol blues are normal, but I assure you, they will pass.
Britt- hope you all had fun at the beach. Sounds like fun. Where are you in Southern Ontario? I live in Rochester, NY. Been to the Falls and Toronto many times.
Jrom- how did Nat do today? Was bloodwork ok? Wishing minimal se's for her too.
0 -
UpstateNYer Nat did great. We didn’t meet with MO so not too busy. It’s still a long day with the 5 hr round trip. Nat’s WBC’s went up!!! 3600. Not bad! RBC, hemoglobin etc. continue to drop 😩. RBC was at 9.4. Platelets are in the normal range! Just wanting to keep the RBCs up to get through the next 9! 1/4 of the way done. What time is your surgery tomorrow?? Sure praying for great success!!
Hope everyone is doing well today!!! Praying for minimal SEs and better days!!
0 -
hi Jrom- sorry to hear about rbc and hemoglobin, but glad about platelets being normal range. Hopefully the other counts will come back into range for her. Glad she is 1/4 through. One week at a time. Does she get a break at all or will she do weekly chemo visits throughout? Hope for minimal se's for her as well.
My surgery is very late tomorrow, it is at 5:00pm. Gosh, hope my surgeon is not too tired by then. I am getting results expedited by pathologist, who I met previously. So hopefully will know if DCIS is gone by next Monday. Keeping fingers crossed.
Prayers for everyone going through chemo this week. Wishing you all minimal se's and a happy week😊
0 -
UpstateNYer. Ok we will be praying a lot between now and 5pm tomorrow!! I’m believing Monday’s results will be exactly what we are praying for!! Please keep us posted!!
We are a little bummed about Nat’s RBC counts but that is normal I guess with chemo. I wonder if all the hiking/walking we do is helping or hindering?? It sure helps the soul being out in the fresh air!! The WBC’s going up is a definite blessing!!! Trying to eat super nutritiously, iron rich and high protein foods. One day at a time!!
Prayers for al!!
0 -
Bagged my 5th Taxol today. Infusion went very smooth. I am feeling OK, sleepy and tired from premeds, but this is normal in my new weird normal. First day of the cycle: sleepy and spaced out. 2nd day of the cycle: Energizer bunny; 3rd day of the cycle: Energizer bunny hit by a train
My blood counts were down again this morning. Hgb and red cells count borderline, white cells low-ish too. Good enough to get my weekly cup of poison, but I do hope that the decline stops or, at least, slows down and I can get my next chemo as planned. I want my poison in full dose and on schedule (LoL)
Jrominger: like you, I am doing my utmost best with nutrition, and it helps for sure, but chemo is chemo. I pray that Nat's counts rebound before her next infusion.
I was wondering about hiking too, but I decided to keep up: slow down on a difficult day, but keep on going. Hiking has been a big part of our lives for years, it does wonders to my mind and soul and I am not giving it up - the stupid cancer will not take this away from me
UpStateNYer: good luck tomorrow! I will be thinking and praying for you, for the excellent outcome tomorrow, confirmed by the pathology report coming Monday.
Wishing everyone a good week, with no or minimal SEs
0 -
jrominger, I have same issue with low RBC, hemoglobin, platelets etc ... at my #3/4 AC Today I asked MO and a few nurses what can I eat to bring up my numbers?
I eat protein at every meal, 6-7 small meals a day! An average about 100mg of protein a day!
They all said I can't, it's part of chemo working killing off cancer cells and your good cells
I finally found a naturopath/integrative oncologist, 1.5hr away. I am making appt with her for a high dose Vitamin C infusion, hoping it will help me. So tired of being sick and tired, giggle.
Try not to stress and keep moving forward.
0 -
Lacombattante congrats on #5!! We are 2 behind you!! We agree we want the full dose and on time!!! We did a 4.2 mile lacombattante hike today!! All at 7200 feet!! Nat was an animal!! Probably the steroids!! Gotta love it an we agree cancer can't take all the good things away!
Kimmh012 our MO also said nothing you can do about RBC's. They can reduce the amount of chemo or give you a break! We did have an 11 day break and a 20% AC reduction because of neupenia. Despite that the tumor has shrunk to almost nothing. Praise God. Her WBC's are doing better on Taxol.
God bless everyone. Praying for your surgery tomorrow UpstateNYer!!
J
0 -
Hello everyone, I was due for #9 on Monday but my blood counts tanked so had a blood transfusion instead. I must say already feeling the effects thankfully, I was literally out of breath walking up the stairs in my house. I had blood work on Saturday my RBC was7.9 by Monday it was 7.2. WBC also very low. I did receive the Tecentriq but no Taxol. So needless to say worrying about how this will effect future treatment. According to my nurse, since my Carboplatin was previous reduce due to this problem I will not get my 4th and final dose of carboplatin. She also says if my blood counts are not in the zone by Tuesday my Taxol will be reduced going forward. I hope she is not correct. I will see MO on Tuesday and am hoping to complete the full course of treatment. Any suggestions and/or comments are appreciated and welcome
0 -
hi Katiekins, I would bring this up with MO. I would drill him/ her on impact on treatment efficacy if they cancel the final Carbo. Is treatment delay for an extra week a better option? When my Hgb and RBC tanked, my MO delayed start of Taxol by an extra week to give my body more time to recover.
Could there be another factor that is contributing to low Hgb and RBC, e.g peptic ulcer? My MO suspected that much with me and put me on Pantoprazole, 40 mg, in addition to IV iron and EPO. It did work and my blood counts were back in the range.
Good luck and keep us posted!
0 -
Wow, Katiekins, I'm sorry to hear about your numbers and possible treatment deviation. I do believe you were the first I've heard to mention a blood transfusion. My MO told me I too would get one if my Hgb hit below 8. Last week, I held steady at 9.3. I'm taking an iron tab and trying to eat plenty of iron-rich foods.
I am glad your transfusion improved your feeling. I hope it improves your numbers and that you and your MO have a productive appointment to find the best, most healing way forward for you.0 -
hi all-
Katiekins- sorry to hear you needed a transfusion. But hope you won't need any more of those in the future. Perhaps dosage cut would be ok. My last 2 chemos had dosage cut of 10% and it made a WORLD of difference. But, you don't want to sacrifice efficacy either. Tough call. Speak to your MO.
Palmetto- glad you're feeling well. Hoping that your levels remain in normal range for you.
Lacombattant-glad that you completed 5th treatment. Things seem to be rolling right along for all of us. Continued well wishes.
Jrom-Wow, glad to hear Nat was able to take a nice long hike. So glad she felt up to it. It sure helps both mentally and physically. Staying active is so important
I had surgery yesterday to hopefully remove any remaining DCIS. Hoping that there was none there and it stopped at the previous margin. Anyway, was a very long day for me. My surgery was supposed to be at 5pm, however there was a backlog in OR due to emergency cases. I did not go in until 7pm!! Did you ever hear of surgery being done that late? I felt badly for my poor hubby. He had been up since 4am. Anyway, we went to dinner afterwards, as I had not eaten since the day before. If margins remain unclear, I will need mx. Hoping that is not the case. My case is being expedited, so hoping for results by Friday or Monday. My 40th wedding anniversary is this weekend. Also, my birthday is next week. I told my surgeon that I needed some good news for my birthday. She just smiled. I think that she is being cautiously optimistic. I heard her tell a nurse that I had been "put through a lot" with needing 3 surgeries and having to go through chemo as well. Anyway, did not mean for this post to go so long. Thanks to all for your kind words and prayers. I do the same for all of you too. Keep the faith. Pat
0 -
UpstateNYer. Wow what a long long day for you two!!! Praying for great pathology reports soon! So awesome that you are having your 40th!! What a milestone!!! We will be at 38 this year! Please keep us posted. Praying
0 -
UpStateNYer, It was a long day indeed! Praying they got it all this time and the pathology report confirms it. And... WOW! 40th anniversary! Congratulations!
0 -
UpstateNYer, praying for the best pathology report for you!! I'm sure it was a long day indeed. Congrats on 40!
I'm getting ready to head to the clinic for Taxol #5. (yay) My plan today is to work on my "Flat Palmetto" dolls, assuming the Benadryl doesn't kick my butt like it usually does. My flat dolls are being lovingly carried to a conference with my coworkers next week that I will be unable to attend due to treatment schedule. Think Flat Stanley, just in my likeness. If I get them done this evening, I'll post a pic!
Hope everyone is hanging tough and feeling good!0 -
palmetto we do need to see a picture!!
Best of luck on number 5!! Praying it ALL goes smoothly.
0 -
Palmetto, best wishes for today! Hope all goes well and SEs will be minimal.
I love the idea of a flat doll at a work conference)) 0 -
Hey Mrs. Happyanyway how are you. I occasionally need to hear from you to make sure all is ok!!
UpstateNYer how are you feeling today?? All ok post surgery?
Palmetto how did #5 go? Don’t forget our pic!!
Praying for everyone here!!
0 -
hello Jrom- I am feeling ok today. Just very anxious to receive path report. Hoping to get it by Monday. How is Nat feeling?
Prayers and positive vibes to all of you sweet people. 💞
0 -
UpstateNYer.She is pretty dang good. She has a kind of bone and tendon soreness like from a tough workout. She got it on AC from the neulasta. We think it was her bone marrow making blood cells?? So hopefully that’s what it is this time. I hate her having any weird pains but how do you prevent that when on chemo😫. We are excited that our daughter and grandkids are coming for dinner tonight!!!
I bet the waiting is nerve wracking but by God’s Grace it will be good news. Hopefully today!!! Please keep us informed. Hope you have a special weekend with all kinds of celebrations.
0 -
Hey Jrominger! Sorry I haven't posted. I've been busy this week with the girls starting school. Thanks for checking on me.
I've been reading and thinking about everyone on here.
I had my blood drawn this morning by a new phlebotomist. She found a different vein! I'm amazed. My counts are great. So good that my MO said that I can get back to the gym. Finally!
I have an appointment scheduled at Vanderbilt (for my reconstruction consult) next month. My sister and I are leaving the night before and making it a mini vacation. Mama needs a break!
Have a nice weekend everyone.
0 -
#5 went well. Counts are still decent and Hgb even went up a smidge. Yay! Here are the Flat Palmettos, ready to go to KY with my team next week...
0 -
Happyanyway your lucky you wrote😜. I was an FBI Agent for 25+ yrs and I have ways of finding you if I didn’t hear from you😜😜. SO very very happy to hear about your blood counts along with Palmetto ‘s. That is so encouraging am running in to tell natalie now. That is wonderful. Yes you do deserve a vacation!!!
Palmetto thank you for sharing the flat palmetto ‘s. We have 3 granddaughters that would think those are cool!!! So happy your blood is hanging tough!
Everyone have a blessed weekend!! We do Taxol number 4 on Monday!
0
