Starting Chemo in June 2005

bmck

I am getting my first Taxol treatment this Friday and am a little anxious for it! Also I wanted to ask you gals something. I received my genetic test results today and am torn as to what I should do since reading a few posts on different discussion boards. I have test positive for both gene mutations BRCA 1 and 2. Should I consider a complete hysterectomy??? Let me know, thanks!

Cathi

Reeny47

Hello Ladies,
Just reading through and trying to catch up on all the post. Boy, we talk alot don't we? I am counting the days until Thursday(only one more day (dog-gone-it ) and my first treatment of taxotere. If I can make it through four of those and five days of radiation, I will be through. Should be sometime around the middle of September.
Jo mac, I see you are going for your first taxol tomorrow and I hope you will have an easy time. You have to paint us all a painting, you know? I will keep you in my prayers tonight.

Watson, I am very happy that you got to take your treatment and I pray no more are delayed for you. I love coffee Watson, and I do the same as you. I find myself making it and will try my best to drink it..even with funny taste.By the way, this may not apply to you, but my hair really started to shed after third treatment. That's when I shave it.

BrendaF, I would love to see your pottery also. I am like you though ,I do not know how to put in an image.

Jenster, that's not a bad idea about the cry fest. The only thing is we would still be flat-chested and baldheaded and probably a few more wrinkles from the crying.

I noticed alot of you were talking about losing our hair,but still having to shave our legs and underarms. I still have hair on my legs and underarm and still have to shave, but did you ladies lose some or all of your hair on another place on your body? You know on your (uh-hum) personal area? Haven't heard any of you say(but why would you?). I am almost as bald down there as I am on my head!Boy, Now I call that sharing. Just wondering if I was only one.lol and embrassed!!!!

Hope all that have treatment this week does very well and will keep all of you in prayers. Maureen

Reeny47

Oh yes, saleboat, I hope your test turn out good and hate you are having to go through it. It's something we all face and it's very hard for me to do as I know it is you. My best to you saleboat and I will pray for you also. Take care.....Maureen

LizFL

Reeny...let's just say you're not alone in losing hair in lots of different places.



Just got to add a new prescription to the lot today. Have some thrush...ewwwwww!



Bmck...why don't you PM No Surrender...I'm sure she will be able to give you some info and advice.



For all of you beginning the Taxol/Taxotere...thank you for being our guides. For some reason, I am just not scared of this stuff anymore...sick of it YES! They seem to do everything they can at the chemo clinic to minimize any discomfort and side effects and I feel safe with them.



Liz

LizFL

Someone asked about adding images...if you hit reply...up at the top there is an underlined UBB code in your posts. If you click on that, there are answers to questions, including posting images. Apparently you have to have it posted on a website in order to upload it. Hope this helps!

Liz

Jenster

Maureen -

I've lost most all of the hair on my head, my underarms and my netheregions. There! We shared together.

kimBe

Hi! Am looking forward to being behind the curve on the Taxotere---kind of like being benched by the coach for a month while I catch up on the chemo==again I have #5 on Thursday so just realized today that I still have a month of chemo to go and by then some of you will be old pros with the T part. The other day I was thinking I am so tired of all of this I may just duct tape my finger nails--and then read the post about using it for hair removal-it really is multipurpose. I occassionally use a pain med to help me sleep which I did last night-and half hour into bed we had an earthquake...no damage but sure felt it. I am anxious for Thursday to get here===see how I do and then finally I will only have one AC left...
Take care and good luck with the T!!!!I am almost jealous but very excited for everyone to move on!
KimB

cnmpam

Hello June Ladies
I have been following your emails for a month and a half now not knowing how to jump in there with you. I hope this works. I hate to crash the party but would love to join you. I started on my chempo 9 weeks ago. I am doing to opposite of most of you. Taxotere first every three weeks (with Xeloda by mouth each cycle) and then I will do the FAC. I have gone through so much of the things you have but have had an OK time on the Taxotere and Xeloda. I was very worried about the hand/foot syndrome but have had very little skin peeling and no neuopathy to speak of. I had the blisters in my esophogus and mouth the first infusion but ate ice during the second one and did not get that again. So those of you starting the taxol or taxotere chew ice during the infusion and it may work for you too! I get my third infusion tomarrow. I will get four of the taxotere and four of the FAC. So, I am thinking most of you will finish before me.
I hope this works. I feel like I know you all from "spying" on your thread for the whole time...not knowing how to join you. I can tell you I am and have been rooting for you all along and am sending such good thoughts your way.

We are OVERCOMING.

MichelleB39

Welcome cmnpam!!! or maybe it's Pam. You are never too late, we're just sorry that you have to be here.

I know the ladies on Taxotere are thankful for your advice!

Watson

Hey,
Welcome to the site! I lurked around a couple of other threads so I know what you mean about 'knowing' people. And you will be finished with chemo before me!
What part of Houston are you in? I'm in Katy.
Thanks for sharing all your Taxotere info. I'll start that when finished with AC in about six weeks.

Take care,
Watson

rmmom

Hi Jen
I'll pass the Jeff's shake recipe as I remember it. It the 15 year old's football evening camp this week and by the time he picks him up it is my bedtime.
___________________________________________________________
cup of ice cream
1 pk Carnation instant breakfast drink
1/2 cup ice
1/c milk
and 1/2 c 100% fruit juice
Blender together in blender ubtil smooth
It was a little liquidity so you probably could add more ice cream or less or less other liquids. Jeff used mango juice which dd didn't like but most of my taste is gone so it felt good going down. Still having the that throat problem.
Starting to feel a bit tired-lunch wasn't a good experience so today-Oh well had two great days. Hope the rest of you are well
Bev

Analemma

Ugh - day 3! All day in bed, but I think I'm turning the corner a little.

Welcome Pam, I'll put you on the list!

LizFL

Hi Pam..glad you stopped lurking and joined us!

Bev..my thrush started with a sore throat...check your tongue to see if it looks yucky.

Liz

danahollis

I hate Thrush... my tongue is just starting to look pink again. It's so GROSS!!!!! I go through this every treatment... but didn't want to add yet another DRUG to my list so I'm TOUGHING it out. Probably not advisable... but it's working for me so far.

Welcome Pam.

HUGS!

bmck

anyone experiencing rib pain? I am wondering if it's my expanders. Have been uncomfortable the last couple of days and haven't taken anything to relieve it. Of course I am starting to think that maybe the cancer went to my bones. Am I ever going to stop thinking like that with every ache and pain that I have? Two more days until I have my first Taxol treatment and I am getting nervous! But am hoping that all will go well!

Cathi

minerva

Thanks for the welcome LizFL. My next chemo is a mixture of 5FU, Epirubicin and Cyclophospnamide, whew! As I said before, I still have enough hair the wear my hat but with what I read on this next mixture, I probably won't have any left. Oh well, the price to pay to become better is worth it. After I take this mixture, I and headed for my mastectomy and then radiation. I am getting pretty nervous. I have been reading online and it is beginning to become overwhelming sometimes. I am thankful that there are women out there to talk too. Thanks again, I will be back.

minerva

Scout, my doc put me on Effexor for hot flashes. It made me sick to my stomach. I decided to just put my head in the air conditioner. I hope it works better for you, please let me know.

LizFL

Minerva...I had my mastectomy on May 1st. If you have any questions about it, I will try to answer them. The surgery and recovery went easily...losing your breast is hard emotionally. At first I was just glad to have that nasty cancer ridden thing gone! Then it was kind of a shock...it's gone and it's not going to grow back! I haven't decided about reconstruction yet...waiting until I finish treatment. I do have a prosthesis now and it looks fine and is comfortable. None of this is easy, but we will all get through it with the help of each other and our inner "Towandas".

Hugs,
Liz

minerva

LizFL. My surgery will be sometime in Novemeber. As the days go on, I am getting more nervous. What kind of recovery period is there? How big of an incision? Not that I am vain...just wondering. And are you doing the radiation? Did you have the surgery first and then the chemo? I am doing the chemo and then surgery. Kind of strange the ways dr's do different treatments. What kind of chemo did you say you were taking? I wish that I could taste food for just one day. My favorite food used to be a bowl of wavey lays and a glass of milk, but now they both have no taste. Oreo's have good flavor though. I wonder why we can only taste sweets?
Thanks for responding.

Jenster

Liz - my mastectomy was on May 2nd. It was hard looking at myself with only one breast for the first time, but they weren't very impressive to begin with so I seemed sort of dispassionate about the whole thing. Now I look at myself and think, "Gosh. I look like a winking pirate." lol.

It is a weird thought that it won't grow back, though. Everything else will. Why shouldn't it??

Jen

Scout

Oh, no, Minerva! I am on day two of the EffexorXR, and so far so good. I'm a little tired, but then again, I just started back at work (part time)...so not sure what it will do...but I hope it works! I'm only taking 37.5mg so I hope going slow this time will help.

JoMac

I had my first Taxol today. It is so much better than the AC. There is no comparison. No nausea just some tiredness. I will see if this changes over the next few days but the AC was tough , tough tough and this is like nothing.....

LizFL

Jen...I'm a C cup, so it looks strange to have a boob on one side and a mini boob on the other (I had skin sparing mastectomy). I've gotten used to it now, but it was pretty weird in the beginning.

Minerva...where do you live? I was diagnosed 4/25 and had the surgery 5/1. They kept me at the hospital overnight and I was up and around the next day. I went back to work on 5/11. Worked 1/2 days the first two days back. I had lymph node involvement and drains. Once the drains were out, it felt a lot better. I am right handed and have good motion with my right arm. At first, I felt sore wearing a bra, so I often wore tankini tops with a fiberfill insert under a blouse or dress. I attended a wedding in Atlanta (I live in Florida) on 5/14 and although I tired easily, it was a great trip. I am having 4 treatments of A/C (3 down, 1 to go) and then four treatments of Taxotere, followed by 35 radiation treatments. All the doctors do things differently. Some people have chemo and rads first, then surgery. There was minimal pain involved in the surgery, and the meds took care of that. I was surprised that it was no where near as bad as I thought it would be.

Liz

danahollis

Welcome Minerva!

JoMac... so happy to hear it went well!!! That's great news. I hope it goes as well for all of us!

Happy Wednesday! It is Wednesday, right... I seem to lose track these days! LOL!

HUGS!

kimBe

JoMac-so HAPPY that you did well! I told a couple of people that I am getting tired of the chemo and can't believe how much better I felt because there was so much sincere compassion---This is the one place I feel comfortable sharing my true feelings, but am much more positive tonight. Will let you know how #5 goes tomorrow...then I only have 1 AC left and by the time I start T I will have lots of advice from those of you that will be starting it before I do.
KimB

LizFL

JoMac...great news! I am so glad this is so much easier on you! You deserve a break.

Got this in an email and had to share

Subject: Short Hot Love Story............


I SHALL SEEK AND FIND YOU...

I SHALL TAKE YOU TO BED AND CONTROL YOU...

I WILL MAKE YOU ACHE, SHAKE AND SWEAT UNTIL YOU GRUNT AND GROAN...

I WILL MAKE A YOU BEG FOR MERCY...

I WILL EXHAUST YOU TO THE POINT THAT YOU WILL BE RELIEVED WHEN I LEAVE.

YOU WILL BE WEAK FOR DAYS.

ALL MY LOVE,

CHEMOTHERAPY


WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?

nosurrender

Quote:

---

I had my first Taxol today. It is so much better than the AC. There is no comparison. No nausea just some tiredness. I will see if this changes over the next few days but the AC was tough , tough tough and this is like nothing.....

---

WELL IF THAT ISN'T THE ICING ON THE CAKE TODAY! WAY TO GO JO!

cnmpam

I think you all will find that the taxol and taxotere are easier than the AC. (Remember I am doing the Taxotere first so I will be getting your advise when I do the FAC). Even though it is easier things don't seem to start up till about day 4 or 5 and it can cause the stomatitis (some people think it is thrush but it may not actually be yeast) anyway, chewing ice while getting the infusion can constrict the vessels in the mouth and tongue so that the blood surge of the chemo is decreased to that area. I did not get the ulcers and swollen tongue this last time and I think it is the ice...I am gonna do that for the rest of my Taxotere and when I start the FAC too. That one side effect was so horrible...but MD Anderson makes up this wonderful concoction that has xylocaine and mylox and something else that make it fell so much better. (you rinse with it every four hours) I am sure you can get it too Dana. Too bad it did not help me lose any of this 25 pounds I have gained! Any one else gaining weight like crazy?

Pam
Overcomer

minerva

Liz, I live in Wyoming. I have been trying to find a support group here but haven't been sucessfull. So I ventured on line and lo and behold I found a wonderful group of women to talk to about this new stage of my life. I thank you so much for your input. I have had 12 treatments of Taxol and will start the new chemo on Aug 8, I thought it would be next monday, but the nurse called me this afternoon and left me a message stating the dr wanted to wait until Aug 8. I am going to call her tomorrow and find out why he wants to wait. Probably because I finished my last taxol this monday.
Again thanks for your info.

minerva

Scout, I hope that it works for you. I knew instantly that it wouldn't work for me because I became ill within an hour. They told me that it takes about 2 weeks for it to get into your system and it sounds like you are doing okay with it. Keep it up, Good Luck!