Crying, scared, blind-sided 50 year old.
Comments
-
Hi Rita,
I love the way you are keeping on top of your meds during chemo days. I am following mine too, gives me the feeling of being more in control. I am glad that last week there was no error, but it was intended.
About food studies, it is so hard to draw any conclusion if the studies aren't done with thousands of people on long term follow up. Even then it is so hard to isolate certain groups of people who'd eat a certain thing for years to come and control them enough to make sure it works. I am almost always told food has more to do with gastrointestinal cancers, even that is hard to conclude. I'll go with the others and say don't think you did something wrong and this happened to you. Breast Cancer is just bad luck and might happen to anyone.
About weight gain/loss, I have some covid pounds. I was told I could lose up to 10% which I am aiming right now on a loooong term plan. Lost about 5 pounds since September, that is a very slow and steady pace my oncology team is fine with. I am set on walking daily about an hour, so mostly that and loss of appetite while not stressing my body doing a diet, if that makes sense.
About tumour shrinkage, mine started to go down on the 3rd week or so, so just a bit of patience.
0 -
I'm so sorry you are going through this but allow me to give you GREAT hope.
First let me say I'm actually a husband looking for answers and support. My wife and I married at age 20 and have been together 36 years. My wife was diagnosed the day before Thanksgiving 2020. The information we received that day and over the next few doctor visits is almost a carbon copy of what you were told. The oncologist we first seen said she was a borderline stage 4 but he was going with a stage 3 which following protocol would allow him to be much more aggressive with the treatment.
We were both scared to death and looking back I think we were looking for better news. We made phone calls and the next weekend we loaded up and drove to Newnan Georgia to visit The Cancer Treatment Centers of America. To say we had a bad experience there is a huge understatement. New patients spend two days being evaluated and then given a treatment plan. Two of the appointments were so late they ask us to change to the next day which we did. When it came time to finally talk to the Oncologist we were put in a room where I honestly think we were forgotten. After 1.5 hours I opened the door and told a nurse we still had not talked to anyone. A few minutes later a nurse enters the room with an IPad and the Oncologist was online and talked to my wife through FaceTime only even though she said she was in the next room. She never saw my wife but proceeded to tell her the cancer had spread into both lungs and her treatment plan was to administer small amounts of chemo in an attempt to prolong her life and improve the quality..It turned out that she was completely wrong about the cancer in both lungs but We had already went from scared to terrified..
We went straight back to our hotel and got our things and headed home. The following week we were back at St Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Al about one hour from home. To make a long story a little shorter that was one year ago. My wife has gone through a strong chemo treatment which reduced her tumor of 3.2 down to almost non existent. She had a double mastectomy followed by 27 days of radiation. I'm not going to lie she's been through hell on earth but her last scan and all her blood work shows her to be cancer free.
She found out pretty fast that there are MANY things you have to dig for yourself. I will get the name of the book she bought that was written by a lady in even worse shape but she was familiar with medicine and alternative things that can be done at home that greatly improve your road to recovery. It's simple things such as Vitamin C infusions as you start chemo. If you live in a state that allows the sale of cannabis products you can GREATLY reduce the nausea caused by the chemo. We are both Christian conservatives and my wife is VERY conservative. She didn't want to try the cannabis but got so sick she was willing to try it. On a Friday morning I left at 5:00 am driving to Illinois to purchase cannabis gummies. She was so nauseated she only got up to go to the bathroom that day. I got home about 6:00 pm that night and she ate a gummy and another at bedtime. Saturday morning when I woke up around 6:00 am she was already in the kitchen cooking breakfast. The cannabis made that much difference and it can also kill or slow most types of cancer.
You can do this. Dig for all the information you can find whether it be books or YouTube.
Our prayers are with you and if you would like any more info from my wife let me know and I promise she will do anything she can to help you kick this cancer to the cur
1 -
4mywife1958 - I don't have anything to add here related to your wife's or Rita's situations in particular, but I just want to let you know that I'm crying after reading your post. I am so struck by the very devoted husbands who post on here and who are willing to go to the ends of the earth for your wives. When I got married about 46 years ago, I thought it was to a man who cared about me as much as you and many other husbands on here care about their wives. Well it turned out not to be true and I've been divorced now for something like 17 years. It never fails to pull at my heartstrings though when I see and hear about marriages that truly are what I thought mine would be. Thanks to so many like you and guys like husbands11 and Colt45 who also post on here - there are many more too who post and don't post who are just so devoted to their wives and this cause. It gives me lots of inspiration and hope just to know that men like you are out there and helping so very much. Well, I was overcome and I'll stop now, but just know that what you are doing is an invaluable service not only to your wife, but to society at large. Thank you.
0 -
4mywife,
What a wonderful support you are! I hope you will also visit the caregivers forum as that may be helpful to you. I have been using cannabis for many years (opposite of your wife… not in the least conservative, not Christian). I am neither a researcher nor a doctor but simply an interested and experienced user. There are no credible scientific studies to show that cannabis slows or kills cancer. There is a lot of personal testimony, well worn anecdotes, etc. There have been some in vitro studies but that is very far from proving efficacy in humans. A major obstacle to proper studies is the fact that cannabis is still federally illegal. I hope that one day, this potentially helpful plant can be properly tested and trialed. We have a cannabis thread where we share personal experiences and suggestions for new users. Check it out!
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/79/topics/874792?page=4#idx_1120 -
We appreciate all the support here!
You may also be interested in our caregiver meetups as well, depending on your situation:
Register by clicking here! https://breastcancer-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/...
Register by clicking here! https://breastcancer-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqd-6prDkvGdztPag7To5oGJKH7Mt_wWOa
0 -
Hi all,
Just a brief update and then I will respond to some of the replies. I woke up this morning with a sore throat and it is getting progressively worse as the day goes on. When I was getting chemo on Tuesday, the man in the chair next to me appeared to be nursing a cold. He was sniffling and occasionally would cough. He assured us that he was not sick however so I let it go. But now I am concerned. I was vaccinated with the J&J vaccine back in April and they say that by now it would have lost nearly all it's protection abilities. I called the nurse today and she wants me to be tested for Covid, strep, etc tomorrow if the sore throat persists. I worry this may keep me from getting my chemo on Tuesday and set back my treatment. I went through all of 2020 and most of 2021 going out and being exposed on a regular basis and never once got so much as a minor cold.
Sarah_78 Thank you for the info. I feel better knowing that it's normal to not see many changes in the tumor until the 3rd week or so. The curious thing about my situation is that I have had pain in my breast from the start (not typical of BC) but within the past few days I have had no pain. Now this comes after, about a week ago, I told the nurse about having breast pain after the treatment and they told me that it was a good sign because it meant the chemo is working. However, I'm not sure if I should be happy about no pain (meaning something has changed from how it was before chemo) or if it means the chemo isn't doing it's job. But I prefer to think that change is a good sign so I'm hopeful still.
4mywife1985 What a touching story you have shared. Thank you for taking the time to tell us of you and your wife's journey. I can imagine the fear you both must have felt during those difficult weeks and months leading up to treatment. But it is so wonderful to hear that all her recent tests are showing her to be cancer free. I would love to know the name of the book you referred to. Regarding cannibis, it is EVERYWHERE in my state. I live in Las Vegas and can't walk down the sidewalk on the strip or downtown without smelling that stinky stuff. I voted to legalize it so it's partly my fault. It just seemed the practical thing to do in order to free up police resources for more important matters. I wish they would have confined it to private residences though and not allow it to be smoked in public. My doctor's assistant actually offered to write me a prescription for marijuana right there on the spot but I declined. i guess I am a bit like your wife and don't feel comfortable with it. I'm happy to hear the gummies are working for her though. If my nausea gets bad, I have a prescription on hand here for Ondansetron which I've taken a couple times now and that seems to do the trick. I'm trying not to take too much unnecessary medication though in an effort to protect my already taxed liver. I've never heard about cannabis being effective against cancer. I've had people offer to send me Ivermectin because they thought that would aid against cancer as well. I'd have to research it further. Thank you for your prayers and may God bless you both.
0 -
rita,
There is NO compelling research/clinical evidence that cannabis is effective “against" breast cancer. Please see my post above. It is, however, helpful in relieving symptoms such as pain, nausea, lack of appetite, and sleeplessness. Please remember that the plural of anecdote is not data! Ivermectin* is an anti-parasitic. I do not know why this has become the cure all du jour but I would be highly suspicious of drugs that people claim cure a wide variety of ailments (Covid19, cancer, etc.).
Please check out our cannabis thread, referenced above, to learn more about how cannabis can help with symptom relief. Take care.
* I found this piece which hints that Ivermectin shows potential with several types of cancer but these are not human trials and it seems that they are still in vitro. I applaud ongoing research but would be more than a little hesitant to use it based on such preliminary evidence.
0 -
Rita - About a month ago, I also came down with a sore throat. I was tested for both Covid and strep. Both tests came back negative and they decided that I just had a "routine" upper respiratory virus, and it eventually went away. I've had both Pfizer shots, but don't think I had my booster quite then (I've gotten it since). I think the Pfizer had gone down to about 45-50% effectiveness at the time of my sore throat, so I can really relate to your concern. Interesting though, I too developed symptoms a couple/few days after being at the outpatient center where I go for OT. More than once, I have come down with something (relatively minor), after a medical appointment where I've been around others. It wouldn't surprise me if you picked something up at your medical place.
Here's hoping it's only a run-of-the- mill virus like I had!
0 -
Another idea, do you feel your stomach is acidic or you can't gulp things down easily?
I get sore throat from reflux as well. That usually comes with super mild or no other cold symptoms though, so watch out for anything else. I am sleeping my head elevated a bit and take some stomach acid neutralisation help, like Gaviscon before going to bed.
0 -
Good point Sarah_78! I want to underscore this, Rita. I also get sore throats from digestive trouble, acid, etc. and feel like I have something stuck in my throat. Unlike Sarah, all the Gaviscon and other over the counter stuff seems to make me feel worse, so I just wait it out or drop acidic foods from my diet, use "natural laxative" foods, etc. to clear up the problems, but stomach trouble, particularly acid, is another thing to consider with the sore throat for sure.
0 -
exbrnxgrl I'm with you when it comes to questioning products that claim to cure multiple ailments. As for nausea, I think the meds that my doctor prescribed are sufficient. My Taxol-only weeks aren't too bad so it's really only every 3rd week that nausea becomes an issue but if it gets bad enough I'll take something for it. A relative of mine is mailing me Ivermectin so I'll have to decide what to do with that. I wouldn't mind taking it as long as it doesn't actually do harm. I just don't know. There are just so many unknowns but the possibility that it could help with my TNBC is a compelling reason to give it a try. I think I read that it keeps tumors from becoming resistant to chemo which would be a really good thing in my case since my BC can't be treated with hormone or HER2 protein therapy.
ThreeTree Do you think they will cancel my chemo if it's just an upper respiratory infection like you had? I'd be thrilled with 45-50% vaccine effectiveness at this point. I don't think I currently have any protection at all. I should have said something when I saw the man blowing his nose and sniffling. He also coughed later on. I just didn't want to rock the boat because no one else was saying anything about it and he claimed that he wasn't sick.
Sarah_78 I'm familiar with acid reflux and this is definitely not it. I also am in the habit with sleeping in a slightly inclined position. What I have is progressing just as a typical cold would for me. Yesterday was a sore throat and now the sore throat is nearly gone and I'm sniffling and sneezing. I can only hope that it's not covid. I just don't want anything to prevent me from getting my chemo on Tuesday. I'm going to go to a nearby clinic today or tomorrow and get tested for both covid and strep. Hopefully they both come back negative and I can proceed with my treatments on schedule. I feel fine otherwise. No fever and have an appetite. I'm drinking Ensure protein shakes, taking Emergen - C, eating oranges, blueberries, chicken noodle soup, and of course my vitamins...multi, b complex, D3, biotin, fish oil and flaxseed oil. Hopefully I'll beat this thing quickly and be healthy for Tuesday's treatment.
0 -
Rita, please don't take ivermectin unless your oncologist says it's OK. Many drugs interact with each other and can cause real harm to you if you add on something without an expert (i.e., YOUR doctor, not the internet or your relative) knowing that it is OK. Ivermectin is a powerful medication, and besides there being no evidence that it will do you any good, there is plenty of reason to think it may be dangerous to take it if not properly prescribed to you.
0 -
rita, not to jump all over you, but be careful with the supplements, too. My MO had me stop EVERYTHING except for vitamin D and magnesium. I'm not even taking a multivitamin or calcium. Since my bones were leaching calcium into my blood, she wanted me to stop all of that. I suggest you check with your MO about any and all supplements you are taking or thinking about taking. Just my opinion, for what it's worth.
Carol
0 -
I second mle42, just skimmed Wikipedia page (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivermectin) and it was enough to see one red flag:
"Since drugs that inhibit the enzyme CYP3A4 often also inhibit P-glycoprotein transport, the risk of increased absorption past the blood-brain barrier exists when ivermectin is administered along with other CYP3A4 inhibitors. These drugs include statins, HIV protease inhibitors, many calcium channel blockers, lidocaine, the benzodiazepines, and glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone.[55]"
Dexamethasone is what they usually give with chemo. Please consult to your oncologist before taking it.
0 -
Rita - Do I think your chemo would be cancelled if you have an upper respiratory virus? No, not if they "check your numbers" as they usually do before giving you the chemo. If you have no fever and your blood work looks OK to them, I doubt that they would cancel it. I'm no doctor, but from my experience with chemo you've got to be pretty bad in some way or another, before they cancel it. There were times when I could barely move and they never cancelled it, as long as my "numbers" looked acceptable by their standards.
0 -
Not to mention that Ivermectin is only FDA approved for human consumption for a parasitic infection, no other use. If your relative is mailing you their own prescription medication it is illegal, under both state and federal law, for you to take it since it was prescribed for them. If they are mailing you the animal version, which you can obtain without a prescription, it is exactly that, an animal medication - not for human consumption.
0 -
True Special. It is in Heartguard, a heart worm prevention for dogs. And even then, it is NOT recommended for certain breeds, can kill them
0 -
rita,
At the risk of piling on, please, please talk to your mo before taking ivermectin or anything, even supplements. Ivermectin as approved for humans is a prescription drug. You wouldn’t take medication that wasn’t prescribed for you, right? The animal is just that , fir animals. The manufacturer has cautioned humans not to take animal medication.
0 -
rita; I am with the rest. DO NOT take ivermectin. If it is the apple flavoured paste it is designed for horses. It is also weight based for horses, animals that weigh hundreds of pounds. Sometimes a 1,000. A few years ago on one of these threads a poster mentioned a German "doctor" who was treating/curing cancer patients with dog de-wormer and why were the cancer experts here not exploring "life saving" canine medicine for humans. Probably the same heart worm mentioned above. It won't cure cancer and it won't save you from Covid.
I check with my MO before I start taking any new supplements. Even OTC supplements may not be good for you. I know you are terrified and finding your way but BS treatments are just that. BS. Please be careful.
0 -
Hi everyone,
I will respond to individuals at a later time but for now I'm a little panicked over the whole vitamin thing. First off, I will not be taking the Ivermectin. It was mostly being recommended to me for treatment of Covid and then when I got cancer, suddenly it has benefits treating that too. I don't want to experiment with anything unproven. What has me alarmed is this new information I'm hearing about regarding vitamin supplements and their negative effect on chemotherapy. This is the first time I'm hearing this. I've received 3 chemo sessions so far and am about to receive my forth. All during treatment and for months before, I have been taking vitamin supplements. Specifically a multivitamin, B12, B complex, D3, fish oil. flaxseed oil, massive doses of vitamin C and biotin. And now I'm hearing that they could interfere with my treatments? I called the nurse and she said the B vitamins, multi and D3 were okay to keep taking but I've been taking Emergen C and occasionally other C supplements all this time. I also read online that B12 specifically interferes with chemo killing off the tumor cells. I take B12 regularly because I have an ongoing deficiency. All I can say is Geez! I have enough going against me without doing the wrong thing and further hurting my odds of survival. I am sniffling and sneezing today so the nurse wants me to get a Covid test before Tuesdays appointment so I will get one on Sunday. I'm pretty sure it's just the common cold that I have but they want to be sure. I'm stopping ALL my supplements until I speak with a nutritionist at the cancer center. I was told I could have one when I first met with my oncologist but then I forgot to schedule it and now 3 weeks have gone by.
0 -
rita,
No reason to panic over the supplements. Just run everything by your mo and stop taking the things they advise against. Panic plays no part in this. Remember… perspective. As for ivermectin for COVID or anything else the manufacturer, Merck I believe, has asked people NOT to take it for COVID. I would take their word over friends and family. Think about it, cures COVID and cancer? If it sounds too good to be true…
0 -
exbrnxgrl This study below is the one I'm referring to. It's on this website but I've read about it elsewhere. I have been taking B12 daily for years. I have to because my stomach doesn't make it. Likewise I upped the antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids when I found out I had cancer. It's hard not to panic at this point but I'm definitely not taking anything else from now on.
During the DELCaP study, 251 people had a cancer recurrence and 181 people died.
The questionnaire results showed that 17.5% of the participants used at least one antioxidant daily during chemotherapy and 44% took multivitamins during chemotherapy. The researchers noted that these rates were low compared to rates of supplement use by people diagnosed with cancer in other studies, especially for antioxidants.
The researchers also noted that supplement use tended to decrease during chemotherapy treatment. For example, 20.5% of the participants took vitamin C before treatment, but only 12.2% took vitamin C during chemotherapy.
When the researchers compared supplement use to the rates of recurrence and mortality, they found:
- People who said they took any antioxidant both before and after chemotherapy were 41% more likely to have a breast cancer recurrence and 40% more likely to die.
- Taking antioxidants only before chemotherapy or only during chemotherapy had no effect on outcomes.
- People taking vitamin B12 both before chemotherapy and during chemotherapy were 83% more likely to have a recurrence and about twice as likely to die.
- People taking iron supplements both before chemotherapy and during chemotherapy were 91% more likely to have a recurrence.
- Taking multivitamins had no effect on outcomes.
- People taking omega-3 fatty acids both before chemotherapy and during chemotherapy were 67% more likely to have a recurrence.
0 -
rita,
You can’t un-ring the bell so that is why panic is pointless. Simply call your mo and let them advise you.
0 -
Thinking of you Rita and hope things are going along tolerably with your treatments. Thinking of you.
0 -
Hi Ritac97, in regard to your posted info, just wondering why a multivitamin is o.k. (which usually contains Iron) but a singular iron supp, provided it is not high dose, is not. I take iron for potential anemia.
0 -
Reader425 Hello Reader425. Thank you for your post. Today I underwent number 8 of 12 weekly chemo treatments. It was a light week of only Taxol. It takes about 2 1/2 hrs and includes lab work, saline solutions, a cocktail of Benadryl, steroids, other pre-treatment meds and 1 hr of actual chemo. The Benadryl normally knocks me out and I spent the rest of the session dozing off and then came home and slept for 4 hours. I am fortunate not to be working currently because I do sleep a lot after chemo treatments, especially during the harder weeks when they give me 3 meds instead of 1. I met with the nurse yesterday and discussed side effects. A new one popped up last week after the 3 med treatment and I began feeling numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes. Other than that, I'm experiencing a lot of common side effects like fatigue of course, and the occasional nausea, lack of appetite but also random aches and pains, acne on my scalp, sometimes I see rainbow halos in my vision which the nurse seemed most concerned with and wants me to document them, and an irritating increase in age spots popping up on my face. The nurse said the age spots are related to the Taxol.
I told the nurse I want them to pump as much chemo into me as possible just short of killing me. I come from a strong line of hardy women and I know I can take a lot. She assured me that they were putting a massive amount of chemo into me each week. It has something to do with me being overweight (253 as of today, up 3 lbs since I started) and the fact that they can give me a lot more than an average size person. Oncologists believe that the reason the prognosis was worse for overweight people in the past is because they were being under-treated with chemo. Overweight people were getting standard size doses of medicine and it wasnt enough for their larger bodies. So Im taking in quite a bit of poison each week and it leaves me pretty drained. Last week during the harder treatment, I slept on and off for 3 days straight. That means I would sleep several hours, wake up for a bit, and then go back to bed. This lasted from Thursday afternoon through Sunday. I dont expect this week to be as bad though which is good with Christmas coming up.
My blood pressure has been higher since chemo started so yesterday I went on blood pressure meds for the first time in my life. I was getting mixed messages from my doctors regarding starting meds. My oncologist and my primary physician didn't seem too concerned even though when they'd take it at the office, I would regularly hit 150s/90s and even up to 170s over 100s. But over the past month my BP increased at home from a usual 130s over 80s to 140s over 90s so I talked to the nurse and she agreed it might be better to put me on something just to be safe. Both my parents suffer from hypertension, my father having heart attacks and strokes and my mom having a catastrophic stroke 7 years ago. So I feel good getting it under control.
So at yesterday's appointment I learned that my tumor has shrunk significantly. I knew it had because about 3-4 weeks into treatment my breast stopped hurting and I noticed it physically had decreased in size both visually and from feeling it. It's buried deep in my breast now whereas before it could be seen if I laid on my size and let my breast slump over. So I have more optimism about my future now vs when first diagnosed. I realize with advanced large tumor triple negative breast cancer that prognosis is a lot worse than most other types. I talked to the nurse about this and what I had read about recurrence rates spiking during the 3rd year following diagnosis. But she seemed pretty enthused by changes in treatments, which according to her only happened just 3 months ago. Apparently right before my BC diagnosis, studies showed that the order of meds given during chemo affects outcome. Whereas before they would give certain chemo meds first and another batch during the second 3 months, now they switched them around and outcomes are expected to improve. So I felt good about that.
I also have inquired about things I've read which stated that getting chemo before surgery tended to increase the threat of recurrence later on. It had something to do with the chemo causing gateways that allowed the cancer to spread throughout the body. But she assured me that studies actually proved otherwise and that with large tumor triple negatives, getting chemo before surgery had better outcomes. I guess it has something to do with the extended time needed to perform tumor or breast removal surgery and then healing time which delayed chemo for several months. So I'm putting my trust in them that they know better. At least now my breast pain is gone and I can feel the tumor has shrunk significantly. Apparently not all triple negatives are created equal and some don't respond to treatment as well as others. I'm happy mine is shrinking.
My hair is gone. I had long brown hair and it began falling out around the 3-4 week. It was leaving long strands everywhere so I opted to shave it to a buzz cut. I still have quite a bit of hair left on my head so Im not sure if I jumped the gun. I do notice the hair that is growing in is white. It's actually not half bad looking if it grows out a bit more. I might adopt it as my new hairstyle lol. Right now I go around the house with no head covering but the few times I go out in public, I put on this adorable winter cap complete with fake hair attached. I receive a lot of compliments on it. I found it on amazon and it matches my old hair color perfectly, minus the gray that was pretty extensive even before this started. Other than that I use the head scarves that are pre-tied. I tried head scarves that weren't pre-tied but just couldn't figure out how to wrap my head right. The scarves kept slipping. So i bought one that you just slide on and it's simple.
I still have remnant nose blowing (complete with blood and clots) and an occasional cough due to a cold I caught at treatment in my 2 or 3 week. I now only wear N95 masks when I go out. I bought them at Home Depot for about $2 per mask. I just re-wear them more than once. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind. The masks are proven to protect against viruses. When I caught my cold I was wearing a cloth mask and I just don't think it was sufficient. The man getting chemo next to me was coughing and blowing his nose. So I'm being proactive in that respect. I have been covid vaccinated but it was back in April and it was J and J so I don't have much confidence in my ability to fight off the virus at this point. I don't want a booster. I'm not convinced that my cancer and a previous mouth infection that popped up in July weren't related. I go 50 years with nothing and then suddenly two health events within months? Not saying it was the cause because I also was under a lot of stress but no worse than the past 7 years. It's hard to say. I just want to err on the side of caution this time around.
My lab work has been good each week. Still hitting in the normal range on the markers they use to make sure I can receive chemo. My red blood cell count is on the low normal end and I'm high on a couple other things but so far the results have been pretty good. I do struggle with my nutrition. As someone with a lifetime of questionable eating habits, it probably wasn't a good thing to be told that I can eat just about anything during chemo treatment. I went from a healthy nutritious diet and losing 30-40 lbs before the cancer diagnosis to fast food, candy, high carb meals. It's not good. I struggle to get my protein in each day and know I need to get it together or else I'm going to hurt my recovery chances. They offer snacks during chemo and I find myself eating pretzels and Doritios when I should bring apples and healthy alternatives with me. This has only been going on for a couple weeks so I don't think I've done too much damage but I do need to re-evaluate things and get back to a more nutritious lifestyle.
It is particularly annoying that I've managed to gain 3 lbs rather than losing. I am allowed to lose 10 lbs of weight so technically I can hit 240 and still receive the same amount of chemo. I want to get there. It would be better for my BP and overall health. I'll discuss vitamins below...
HopeHeal Hi, it is my understanding that the danger is not in the vitamins themselves but the amount of vitamins consumed. Multivitamins are okay because most only provide amounts close to the daily requirements. The danger lies in supplements which give you 1,000x or 10,000x your recommended dosage. And according to my doctor the biggest risk is with Vitamin C. Apparently antioxidants protect cells, including cancer cells, and that's not what we want. I was taking high dose Vitamin C before and during the first 3 weeks of my chemo treatment so this was particularly alarming. Now I take a multivitamin, B complex, biotin, D3 and a B12 sublingual. I've read that B vitamins can also hurt chemo but my doctor assured me that this wasn't the case and that she has lots of patients who take B vitamins. Now I need to take B12 because I had surgery decades ago which caused me to lose the ability to manufacture it myself (the stomach produces it I think). But even with her assurances, I have reduced the amount of B12 from 500 mcg which is 20,000% DV to much less. I would like to cap it at 25 mcg but I don't want to throw these out so I just suck on them for a while and spit them out. B12 is water soluble so excess is passed through urine. But I don't think 20,000% is necessary or warranted. The moral of the story is moderation and of course, it's always better to get your vitamins through food rather than supplements. The supplement industry isn't regulated so who knows what these companies are putting into their products. There is a website which actually tests vitamin companies for toxins and holds them accountable. It's probably worth checking out to make sure the brand you are using has a good reputation. I plan on buying more Ensure/Pure Protein shakes next time out. It gives 30 grams of protein per shake and so given I need 90 grams to maintain my current muscle mass based on weight, it would be a good addition to my diet. Plus it has vitamins and minerals added. They recommend it at the oncologist office. But eating right has been a struggle as I've said. The nurse thinks I'm eating for comfort right now. Sounds about right. Christmas is coming up. My elderly disabled parents are having serious problems and I have pressure to help plan a holiday that I have no energy for. But I am alive and I am being treated so I will continue to count my blessings.
I better get going here though. The Lakers are playing and my husband is hinting around for me to stop typing and come watch the game!!! Merry Christmas to all my fellow BC fighters and survivors. May you all be blessed this week with good food, the company of family and friends both in person and online and many joyous memories.
0 -
There's no benefit to taking more than the daily recommended amount of vitamins. Our bodies can't use it and we're just forcing it to work harder to process and filter out the excess. Sometimes too much is even dangerous.
0 -
Reader, I enjoyed reading your post. I'm glad the chemo appears to be shrinking your tumor. The tingling can be annoying. I had it during my first chemo (Taxotere and Cytoxan). I would feel it in my extremities, and also in my torso, which was particularly annoying. As I recall, it did get better when I was finished with the chemo. Re: hair loss - I went "topless" around the house, but had some cute hats and caps to wear when I went out. I had two wigs, but only wore one of them.
Glad to hear that you are doing "well" (a relative term, but you know what I mean).
All the best,
Carol
0 -
Thank you Ritac97 for your thorough vitamins explanation. I too may have some issues absorbing B12 so I took a sublingual 1000mcg tab a few times about 6 weeks after chemo and was hoping that was o.k., but according to your post it may be too much. There is always this worry that I am taking too much of this or that. I also want to join you in saying I love Ensure, it helped give me protein and energy I needed when my appetite was low during chemo.
0 -
HopeHeal, B12 is a water soluble vitamin and thus is not typically stored in the body. Taking more than you need basically creates more expensive urine as your body excretes the extra!
0
