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Starting Chemo February 2021

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Comments

  • Jvfireball
    Jvfireball Member Posts: 56
    edited July 2021

    LW422 you are always so sweet. Keep on keeping on!

    Hi AB45, for radiation if I can make a recommendation. I switched from Lubriderm Lotion to Aquaphor about half way through when I started getting pretty red. After talking with folks I would of started it from day one and put it on liberally and often (just not within two hours of treatment). It's amazing and snce it is an ointment not a lotion it traps moisture in. Oh an lots of water :-)

    Tomorrow is Friday yall....happy Independence day!!

    Cheers

    Julie

  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi LW422,

    Thanks and yes you are right, taxol seems easier! Glad that you don't have any neuropathy or changed in the nails. Yes, I am icing my hands and feet. Ice chips are a good idea too, thanks. I noticed that I could feel some sensitivity in my teeth, so ice chips may help.

    Good luck to those doing radiation! Almost there!

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Amary2021--I thought the ice chips (or ice water) might possibly help me avoid mouth sores or that weird wonky tastebuds thing, so it was a small price to pay! I hope you sail through Taxol with no significant SEs.

    AB45--when do you get your first radiation treatment? I hope you do OK with it so let us know how it goes.

    I'm happy that my fatigue is lifting a bit and my heart rate is slowly getting back to normal. I really hate that rapid heartbeat thing. Of course AC #3 will probably slam me again next week... ugh.

    I hope everyone is doing well and can enjoy the (American) holiday weekend. Happy Birthday, America!!

  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi LW422,

    Thanks for the well-wishes. For mouthsores after AC chemo, I used alcohol free mouthwash. It helped with the mouthsores; they didn't get worse and just settled in 2-3 days.

    Good luck with the remaining AC!! Hope you get to enjoy some fatigue-free days before the treatment.

    Take care, everyone!

  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    Hi all! It's so good to hear how everyone's doing. LW422 I hope the echo goes well and that you get thru the last two AC's with the least amount of trouble. Almost there!

    AB45 Did you get the vertigo with chemo? I got it at the start of Taxol -- it's minimal now, but I'm always a little dizzy. Claritin-D helps a little bit. I'm hoping it'll disappear as the inflammation goes away. Gums and nose etc are sore and bleed -- I imagine I've got lots of irritated membranes, including middle ear and eustachian tube. I hope your vertigo goes away soon. Have you tried any of those head maneuvers for positional vertigo? I've used the Epley maneuver in the past and it resolved my vertigo when it was positional.

    Glad your Taxol is going okay Amary. I admire your ability to chew ginger!!

    I'm done with chemo next week Thursday -- it's Taxol ##12. Can't wait to be done. Taxol has drained me and I'm really tired of the steroids. I feel lucky though -- minimal neuropathy still. My hair's growing back -- it's pure white and very fine, but my head is pretty fuzzy. Not sure if it'll stick around with another Taxol to go, but it has been nice to know that my body will rebound. My brows and lashes are coming in, too -- all white.

    I hope everyone has a good week. It has been a long haul and there's more to go, but I know for sure we are all very tough women.

    Jennie

  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi JN5000,

    Wow congrats on the last Taxol! I can only dream of that day for now! :-)

    I hope your hair will grow back nice and strong soon.

    Yes, ginger was my little miracle friend! :-)

    Cheers to everyone.


  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Hi Jennie! Your last Taxol... woohoo!! Will you be having radiation next? I have AC tomorrow and an echo-cardiogram on Wednesday. I hope I'm not too sick from chem while trying to have the echo but it is what it is.

    I also got my surgery date... August 23. Things are moving along!! (A whole year of my life dealing with this crap.)

    Amary2021--thanks for the well wishes. I haven't had any mouth sores so far, thankfully. Not sure if it was due to the ice chips or if I was just lucky. I also bought the alcohol-free mouthwash and some Biotene toothpaste.

    Have a good week, everyone!

  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    Hey LW422 -- I hope the AC goes well tomorrow. You're so close! This is such a crazy year --

    I have radiation next -- my first appointment with the radiologist is the 19th.

    Keep us updated!

    Jennie

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Thanks, Jennie. I'm afraid that July is going to be my worst month yet and I'm just so full of anxiety and dread. I actually look forward to August and my mastectomy! (Who knew I'd ever be saying THAT??)

    Good luck with the rads and keep us updated. I won't have radiation until my surgery heals so sometime in the fall. I hope I can be done with this by the holidays but we'll see.

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Well, my AC chemo was postponed for a day; my oncologist wanted the echocardiogram done to see what's going on with my heart. I had the echo today and they said my heart is normal, so no explanation of why my heart rate is so high. :crybaby:

    So I have AC tomorrow and I'm hoping it won't be as hard as the first two.

    Hope everyone is doing well.

  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    LW422 -- I'm glad to hear your echo showed your heart is okay! I hope your heartrate slows down and that your next AC isn't as hard as the last two. After tomorrow, only one more. You're almost done. You have been fighting hard -- I admire your perseverance!

    Jennie

  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi LW422,

    Good luck with your AC! This too shall pass! Strange as I had a problem with low heart rate. The nurses always wondered why my heart rate was low, but I was not feeling weak or dizzy, so it was just one of those things I guess. My AC was not delayed. All I can say is ginger! :-)

    Take care, everyone.


  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Thanks, ladies. My chemo today went well (though it was crowded and an hour late). So far I'm feeling OK, but I got home, ate dinner, and crashed for 3 solid hours.

    My oncologist left on a 3-week international trip this week and I was shocked to get a phone call from him this evening. He's in Tokyo and called to check on me!! I was actually stunned, but really pleased.

    I hope all of you are doing well and busy kicking cancer to the curb.

  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi LW422,

    Thought of you and your AC chemo. Glad it went well! 3 hours is not bad, I crash for 19 hours straight after every AC! Then I start to recover and can manage short walks/jogs.

    What a super thoughtful oncologist you have!

    Great support all around.

    Take care, everyone.

  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    LW422 -- that's so great your doc called you from Tokyo. I hope the AC side effects aren't getting too bad. I think my lowest point came right before the third treatment. It seemed so far to the end! But now you're almost done. Only one more, then chemo is behind you. I can't wait to get the port removed, but the surgeon doesn't have an opening until the end of August!!! I was hoping he'd have time this coming week! hahaha. I have an MRI on Monday -- I'll let you know how it goes. For some reason, I really enjoy MRI's -- I've been practicing relaxation techniques for a while now, and an MRI provides the perfect opportunity to be still and relax. I had a brain MRI a month or so ago (because of severe vertigo -- they were worried it was a stroke, I think) and it felt like a spa!! Hilarious.

    Let us know how you're doing!! or if you have any questions.

    Jennie

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Thanks so much for the support, y'all! My doctor reduced the AC dose from 60/600 to 50/500 and I can really tell the difference. I'm a little unsteady but no nausea at all so far; I'm so GLAD about that! So only one more to go... yaaaaaaassss!! I can finally see the chemo finish line.

    Amary2021--I wish I could do some walking or something, but with my heart racing all the time I haven't been able to. I hope that will resolve itself when I finish chemo.

    Jennie--I don't mind MRIs but I can't say I enjoy them!! I hope yours goes well and you get a clean scan. How exciting to have your port removed; I can't WAIT for that day to come.

    Hope everyone's having a good week.

  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi JN5000,

    All the best with your MRI. I, too, don't enjoy MRIs, but great that you can maximise and enjoy your time during one! Gosh, I long for the day when my portacath will be removed too!

    LW422, yeyy you can do this! One more AC!! Yes, hope the heart racing resolves after chemo.

    Have a good weekend, all!



  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    LW422 -- Yay for seeing the chemo finish line!!!

  • ab45
    ab45 Member Posts: 153
    edited July 2021

    HI CHEMO WARRIORS

    Since my last chemo treatment, I have experienced significant joint pain; for those who finished, did you experience this?

    Hang in there for those still going to treatment; ur almost at the finish line

  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    Hey AB45. When was your last chemo treatment? Mine was 5 days ago -- no joint pain during chemo or after, except for a few days during AC after the Neulasta shot. Did you have joint pain during treatment?

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Hello everyone. AB45--I'm not done yet but I haven't had any joint pain. I hope you feel better soon.

    I'm having a tough time with depression lately. I've been crying and feeling down for 2 days; I feel like cancer has taken my life away. I'm tired of feeling sick and being afraid. I have surgery next month and I'm dreading being "mutilated" and wonder if any of this is going to save my life. I wish I could pull myself out of it but it's just so hard. I hate this so much.

  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    LW422 - - I'm so sorry. I hope you're feeliing better since your post, but I understand the difficulty of your treatment and diagnosis. I admire your strength to continue through AC. I know it has been hard since the first treatment. For me, AC really affected my thinking and emotions -- so much toxicity from Adriamycin put me in a very dark place. I hope that once you're through AC, you'll feel better. I wish I could help more -- but I'm here, as are many others, who are here to listen and encourage.

    Jennie

  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi everyone,

    LW422, I know what you mean and I totally understand where you are coming from. I, too, feel down at times, but even superheroes have their down moments, and it does not make them any less brave. You have been brave and you are almost there. You will get through this, all of us will. I am glad for this forum as it allowed us to reach out to each other and find strength in one another, in addition to the love and care we receive from our immediate loved ones. Life is precious and you will have plenty more moments to enjoy soon! Believe in the science, believe that our doctors have our concerns to heart. Try to let go of all other concerns for now, if you can. This is your time and it is a special time. It is time to take care of you. We are all here cheering for you.

    Take care, everyone.


  • Amary2021
    Amary2021 Member Posts: 37
    edited July 2021

    Hi AB45,

    Same with JN5000, I experienced joint pain after the Neulasta shot after every AC, and also after every Neupogen shot after taxol. Nothing during or after treatment.


  • ab45
    ab45 Member Posts: 153
    edited July 2021

    Hi

    First LW422 this too shall pass...just hold on..AC-T chemo regimen is brutal. My last chemo was the last week of May. experiencing joint pain still..yes I received neulsta shot during treatment

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Thanks to all you wonderful friends for your encouraging words. I'm feeling a little better today but it is so easy for me to slide into a full-blown meltdown. I appreciate you all so much; your positive words are so helpful (and needed) right now.

    I hope you all are at a good place with your treatment and feeling OK. Take care of yourselves... you are the BEST. Thanks again. XOXO

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    AB45--I have not had the Neulasta shot at all; thank goodness I was spared that horror and I don't have any joint pain. I hope your pain will resolve itself SOON. Can your MO prescribe a pain med for you? Did you try taking some Claritin? Take care of yourself.

  • Jvfireball
    Jvfireball Member Posts: 56
    edited July 2021

    Hello everyone!

    So nice to read and catch up on everyone. Sorry to see some harder posts but I get it.

    Praying for all of you, with symptoms, depression, pain, upcoming surgeries and treatments. Each day is a day closer to the finish line. I have never met any of you and yet I feel connected to all of you.

    Blessing and prayer to you all

    Julie

  • JN5000
    JN5000 Member Posts: 72
    edited July 2021

    Thanks, Julie!

    LW422: How are you doing?

    I had radiation mapping yesterday and I start radiation on the 28th of July. Today I'm going to shop a little in preparation (men's tank top undershirts, a sharpie to keep my map marks dark if needed, and some bigger shirts to help avoid friction).

    Every day past the last chemo and its side effects gets a little better. I still have some cognitive impairment -- I have trouble with directions when I'm driving, and when I get tired I have trouble following conversations. We'll see what that means when I start teaching in August!

    Jennie

  • lw422
    lw422 Member Posts: 1,417
    edited July 2021

    Thanks, Julie. I guess you are done with radiation now? Did your burns heal well? I hope things are going well for you.

    Hey Jennie. I'm glad you're doing better after chemo and movin' on to radiation. I hope that goes well and you don't have any major SEs. I'm feeling OK; had some "big D" yesterday and I feel sick to my stomach today. Not sure if chemo-related or just a touch of food poisoning or something.

    I hope everyone is doing well with treatment.


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