Starting Chemo September 2019
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Congrats Bluecoconut!!!! Hope your recovery goes smoothly and quickly.
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Hey BlueCoconut!!
Congratulations on your last chemo!! I am also on TCHP and can relate to the big D issues too although I have been fortunate enough not to have to get fluids.
The taste bud issues and timeline you described are spot on! Don’t feel discouraged, I’m sure they will return 100% and the texture issue will go away.
My last treatment is Tuesday and I am feeling more anxious about this one as well. And so think it’s knowing the side effects are coming again. Not that they have been bad for me but completely aggravating.
Just know that you’re not alone!! Relish in knowing that you’ve conquered TCH and are moving forward!
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Thank you all for the welcome and kind words! Hearing 4-5 weeks on tastebud recovery is really encouraging. It's not a healthy coping mechanism but food is one of mine, so it's made it difficult to really need a coping mechanism I can't use at all during this time! I've somewhat replaced it with more productive things like decluttering (mostly paper items and light things) and reading more fiction books.
I've never been a big exerciser but I haven't been able to do much of anything physical during this time. Even the living room to the kitchen made me breathless sometimes...forget about even trying to do 10 min on a treadmill, I'm looking forward to getting some stamina back.
I've been exceptionally fortunate to be allowed to work from home during this whole chemo ordeal, but I'm looking forward to getting back to the office at least part time to have some more social interaction. I think after recovery from surgery I'm going to ask for about 4 weeks of working Tues/Wed/Thurs in office and allow myself that Mon/Fri buffer to get a little more sleep and avoid the 35-40ish min each way commute.
I'm glad so many of us have reached or will soon be reaching the finish line. Really looking forward to growing hair, I haven't ever completely lost mine but it's largely stubble and fuzzies. I'm so sick of hats!
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Hubby, my kids, and I went on a walk in the park today. It was relaxing and therapeutic 😊
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BlueCoconut - I was never a big exerciser either, but I've found that a nice long walk really improves my energy level, my attitude and my sleep. I just started really feeling like exercising about a week ago.
Tracy - Looks like an absolutely gorgeous park to walk in! I wanted to take a walk today, but it rained most of the day here, except for the time when my son's friend was visiting and I had to supervise and make lunch for them. I'm going to make up for it tomorrow with a long walk, but there's nothing as pretty as that park near me. At least my neighborhood has lots of critters to see - squirrels, lizards, sandhill cranes, wrens, cardinals, and a handsome white cat that lets me pet him!
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Loving all that hair coming back! Keep sharing, please...
Blue coconut, congratulations on your last chemo. Every day now brings us closer to losing those bothersome and sometimes very depressing side effects. We have come so far, we will finish with greatness!
Stay with this winderful groupand share, please!
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I do not have nearly as much hair as you Brilee but it is white the few strands I see. Lost my eyelashes at 4 weeks past Taxol. This week 5 weeks past Taxol I’m losing eyebrows daily. Kinda discouraging. Thought they survived.
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So it's been a bit but I wanted to check in. On 11/23, I went to the ER with a fever and chills. They decided to admit me because of my heart rate and because they didn’t know what was wrong with me . On Thanksgiving they decided (after I stopped being able to catch my breath) to sedate and intubate me. They could Not figure out what was going on and none of the tests were giving them results. I ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia and sepsis and heart failure. I spent 4 or 5 dates sedated in the ICU (missed my birthday) and they woke me up on 12/2 but I was still In the hospital for another week. I literally had every antibiotic in existence because I wasn't responding to anything and none of my cultures were showing anything. I had infectious disease drs, pulmonary doctors, oncologists and so many others. I'm home now and working on building my strength and stamina back up. I took home some type of upper respiratory thing and between that and the tube in my throat for days,I still, weeks later, don't have a voice.
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Wow Cat,sorry to hear that you were very sick, I pray you stay on the mend and every day you feel better.
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So sorry you were so sick, Cat. I hope you are able to rest and regain some strength. What a scary experience!
Marilyn
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Oh Cat - so sorry to hear about your hospitalization!! Hope you can get stronger (and get your voice back) soon!! Happy Belated Birthday
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cat
So sorry that you were so ill, how scary that they couldn’t figure it out and had to sedate you. I hope you are resting and recovering.
Tracy
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Cat - So sorry you had to go through all of that! It sounds awful! I'm glad to hear you are back home and on the road to recovery. I pray that your strength, stamina and voice return very soon.
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cat, you are lucky to be alive! I just attended a service for a friend who passed away due to sepsis from infection due to chemo lowering her immune system! She was rushed to the hospital admitted to ICU and passed away a few hours later! Tragic
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Dear Cat,
So glad to hear you are home and working on your recovery! Praying for you...
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AngieB92 - Just wanted to wish you good luck with your last treatment tomorrow!!!!
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Yay Angie, last treatment tomorrow! Good luck! I’m so happy to see more and more of us finishing chemo!
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I had my second Zoladex injection today, everything is going well. My next injection is scheduled for 1/27. They'll retest my hormone levels then, and if I'm at menopause levels I'll be switched over to an aromatase inhibitor. Oh, and for those of you who have started or will start Tamoxifen or an AI, my MO suggested taking fish oil for achy joints side effects. I’ll try it and report back if it helps.
My hair is growing back nicely, but my eye brows and lashes have been jumping ship. Seriously, WTH. I hope they grow back quickly, they didn't get the memo that this isn't allowed! 😊
Tracy
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Prayin for you, Cat!
Tracy, my eyebrows haven't started coming back yet and I'm horrible at drawing them on. lol I'll try to start including those in my weekly pics. I managed to keep most of my lashes.
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Thanks so much!! I’m excited but a bit more anxious than normal. I will post my usual picture from the chair.
Tracy, I’ve read other posts where the eye lashes and brows come and go several times. I’m anticipating it. I may have 10 hairs per brow. The lashes are thin. I swear of cancer wasn’t so serious I would be laughing at all of this every day!
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Ladies, I have 2 lashes on my left eye and 5 on my right. My eyebrows have mostly jumped ship. I look so weird, but I try not to worry about it. I just keep living, loving and finding joy each day in the midst of this craziness. Today, we went to see the new Star Wars movie. Now we're working on a puzzle. Little joys!!! Keep the faith and keep smiling!
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LMS - you nailed it! Loving, loving and finding joy each day is my New Year New Me mantra!
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Happy New Year everyone
It is my sincere hope that each of us has a wonderful 2020. That we all finish our treatments and surgeries, and that cancer becomes an afterthought. May we all have good health, peace, and happiness in the new year.
Hugs ladies
Tracy
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Last day of chemo!!! Everything is looking good!! Hope you all have a restful New Year and that cancer stays in 2019!! ❤️
A lady that I saw suffering with her AC treatment just got to ring the bell! I was able to watch her and give her a hug. I cried!
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Congratulations Angie!
And congratulations to the woman at your infusion center who got to ring the bell today
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Congratulations Angie! Happy New Year ladies!
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Congrats Angie!!!!!Happy New Year every one!!!!!
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Thank you all!! I still can’t believe I’m done with TCHP!!
Happy New Year!!!
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Congratulations Angie!!!!!!
Happy New Year everyone!
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Congratulations Angie!!
I have 3 more weekly Taxol to go. The fatigue at this point is brutal. It doesn’t help that I was done in by my hospitalization back in October. I stopped exercising when I got home. I’m paying for that now. Just got on the exercise bike for 10 minutes. Had to lower my usual resistance. Man! It was killer!! But I’ve gained weight with the weekly prednisone. I have got to start somewhere trying to regain some strength before surgery. Taxol has been easier overall than AC. But it is gradually taking a toll as it just goes on and on.
I pray for all of us that God gives us strength and courage to fight on. I don’t know what I would do without my various online communities.
Wishing us all a better 2020!,
Marilyn
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