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Starting Chemo April 2020

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  • jelloelloello
    jelloelloello Member Posts: 83
    edited June 2020
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    lol Heather, your “bald, tired zombie" made me do a stupid snicker out loud and my dog woke up and looked at me

  • LiseC
    LiseC Member Posts: 24
    edited June 2020
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    Ilovethemoon - welcome! I did taxol before AC, my 12th infusion was last Friday. I have been able to continue working (from home) throughout my treatment. I could go into the office if I had to, but I work for a university and they sent all nonessential employees home. I work Monday - Thursday and take Fridays off for my infusion. I felt fine on Friday and Saturday, Sunday I would start to experience some fatigue but Monday (day 4) was the worst day, especially near the end. On Mondays it was hard to focus due to the fatigue so I would put off any important work to Tuesday when I could focus a bit better. I will say the fatigue got progressively worse with each treatment, I felt completely normal until around round 9 or 10. It may be helpful to work earlier on in your infusions and save up some extra PTO for the end of your treatments. Hope that helps!



  • wahoomama87
    wahoomama87 Member Posts: 194
    edited June 2020
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    Jess -

    I can't speak to "finishing" chemo, since the is the only time I've done it! But I will say that being on TCPH, I have 3 weeks between each treatment. In my experience with my first 3 rounds, by the first or second day of week 2, and then all of week 3, I felt mostly myself. So I'm hoping that once I have my last round on the 24th of this month, I will bounce back by the 3rd week. I'm mid-way through week 3 right now and most of the side effects are gone or really minimal, so hopefully that will continue. Although Round 4 has been much harder - with things lasting longer this time.

    Kris

  • Hurricaneblair
    Hurricaneblair Member Posts: 39
    edited July 2020
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    @wahoomama87 (aka Kris)....can you re-post how everyone can find our FB group?

    It is soooo much easier to have “conversations” when we can respond directly under each post.

    Thanks...Erin

  • CCGirl
    CCGirl Member Posts: 86
    edited July 2020
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    Hi Allie (And everyone!)

    Sorry to be MIA. I’ve been down and out for the last 10 days. I ended up in the ER on Sunday after my last post and had all sorts of tests. (The on-call doc didn’t call me back that time either so I just went to the hospital anyway). They gave me antibiotics even though there were no infections that they could find. And then my MO (who was majorly pissed off about the on-call doc situation) put me on two really strong antibiotics just in case. Unfortunately, I think they made me even more sick. And I got some terrible burn rashes on my hands and itchy bumps on my chest. I took myself off the antibiotics because the SEs happened on the weekend (of course). But the MO took me off anyway on Monday when I called in. They had got all of the blood work and cultures back (along with my negative Covid test, clear chest X-ray and etc) and no infection anywhere. No idea why the fever. No need for antibiotics. Argh.

    I have my last round of chemo on Tuesday and haven’t had any really good days this time. Scared about going in again, especially if the last round is worse than round 3. Thank goodness it’s the last one, but I don’t think I’ll be celebrating until the SEs are over and I feel better. Then I’ll ring the bell.

    Xoxo to all of you! Have a wonderful 4th of July :)

    Nan


  • Sueshe55
    Sueshe55 Member Posts: 12
    edited July 2020
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    CCgirl I’m so sorry you had To go thru that. Do you get neulasta? Could the fever have been from that? Was your WBC elevated? I’m glad you stopped the antibiotics on your own. Hoping you feel better and #4 is a breeze. I rarely post here anymore on on FB in Allies group but felt I needed to reach out. Positive thoughts will get you through!! You’re almost there, take care RE/sueshe55


  • CCGirl
    CCGirl Member Posts: 86
    edited July 2020
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    Hi Sueshe,

    Thank you so much for your words of encouragement. I did get Neulasta. It’s possible the fever could have been from that. Hard to say. My white count was very low when they did the blood tests in the ER, but I was told it was expected. I am feeling a little better today. One day at a time ... I keep thinking, okay, by this time next month it’ll be much better. Almost there.

    Thank you 🙏

    Nan

  • wahoomama87
    wahoomama87 Member Posts: 194
    edited July 2020
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    Nan - so sorry you haven't felt well. That taxotere is giving me fits with the SE too. I feel you.

    Kris

  • wahoomama87
    wahoomama87 Member Posts: 194
    edited July 2020
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    Hey all - Per Erin's request - join our VERY active FB group! So much easier to have a good conversation. If you want to join, please PM me - and I will add you. For privacy reasons, it's completely invisible on FB, so you can't search for it and request to join, but it's so easy for me to add people in. The instructions are also posted in the pinned post at the top here, after all our member names. Come on over to FB!

    Kris


  • ipenelope
    ipenelope Member Posts: 233
    edited July 2020
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    Nan,

    Did they say anything about being dehydrated?? That can definitely cause an elevated temp.

    Im glad your back home and starting to feel better!! The weekend I get lots of steroids your sadly down and out 🤪🤪.

    I hope everyone is doing good, have a great 4th of July, and stay safe!! Keep up the fight to kick cancer's butt!!🥊🥊

    ~Katie 💗

  • BostonGal
    BostonGal Member Posts: 154
    edited July 2020
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    Nan, good to hear from you. Was wondering. I see you are on two chemo drugs. I am glad they have ruled out more "serious" issues and you are feeling better. It is very hard to sort the SEs, etc. out.

    Allie

  • NMJanet
    NMJanet Member Posts: 16
    edited July 2020
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    Hello ladies! I'm new to this group so I've been reading through the messages and wanted to say hi!

    Just had my 2nd round of paclitaxel out of 12. I'm receiving it once a week and started with a 50% dose the first time and 75% this last time. This next week will be 100%. I've had really bad luck with treatment this year so starting out slower on this one to make sure I could handle it. Started on Piqray in January and ended up in the hospital twice before they decided it was killing me rather than helping. While recovering from that, had radiation over a large area of my spine due to the collapsing disks and broken ribs causing so much pain. The radiation caused my esophagus to swell so much I couldn't eat or drink anything. Meanwhile, my blood tests and scans showed my cancer had spread to my liver and peritoneal cavity so I was put on Xeloda. Ended up back in the hospital and was taken off that! Now it's the Taxel and I seem to be doing okay on this. Yea!! Lost my hair quickly but it's the perfect time of the year for that to happen. : ) I do have fatigue and a little bit of muscle weakness in my legs but that's been happening most of this year. So glad to finally be on something that isn't trying to do me in faster than it helps! I have a real problem staying hydrated also so any suggestions would be appreciated! I think I drink a lot of fluids but apparently my body doesn't. : )

    Thank you! So great to have this website to come to for encouragement and information!

    Janet


  • byhisgracetwice
    byhisgracetwice Member Posts: 218
    edited July 2020
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    Janet — hello. Sorry you've had such a rough time of it. I'm on weekly Taxol and Herceptin. After stumbling at the beginning and a couple weeks of infections with caused me to miss two weeks, things seem to be settling in. As to fluid intake, I'm bad at remembering how much intake I've had so ... sometimes I'll take a couple two liter soft drink bottles and freeze half filled with water. I'll take them out in the morning, fill the rest of the way with water, put them on the kitchen counter. The water stays cold as the ice thaws and I track how much I've consumed throughout the day. Hope things continue to improve for you.

    🌈


  • ipenelope
    ipenelope Member Posts: 233
    edited July 2020
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    Janet,

    Welcome and so sorry to hear the treatments that have been meant to help you get better have been making your life so rough!! I really hope Taxol works for you and does what your MO wants it to!!

    J- love the idea of the 2 liter bottles!!

    ~Katie💗

  • wahoomama87
    wahoomama87 Member Posts: 194
    edited July 2020
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    Janet -


    We have a very active private FB group - if that interests you to join! PM me, and I'll add you.

    Kris


  • BostonGal
    BostonGal Member Posts: 154
    edited July 2020
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    Hi Janet,

    Welcome! It's been a while since I've been on this site. I am normally on the FB site though.

    I can't think of a specific suggestion about hydration...I think the prior suggestion is excellent about the water bottles.

    I just make sure I track what I drink, etc. and make sure that I get at least 100 ounces per day (that may not be the right amount for other people but it seems to be what works for me). I also make sure that I get my fluids before I go to bed so that it limits how many times I have to get up during the night.

    Allie

  • doggrooming
    doggrooming Member Posts: 3
    edited September 2020
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    My Ares- Toy Poodle is so overgrown and ratty and desperately needs to be groomed. We are going to attempt to clip a bit around his face but we don't have clippers to do his body.

  • breedebra
    breedebra Member Posts: 3
    edited October 2021
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    Hello!!

    How long did it take the nasal issues and dry mouth to clear up after you finished chemo? I finished AC-T on 10/5/21 and they are both pure misery.


    Thanks!

  • Sueshe55
    Sueshe55 Member Posts: 12
    edited October 2021
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    I did not have bad dryness I used Vaseline in nose for moisture and mouth moistening tablets at night. You can use them safely while sleeping.

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