anyone starting chemo in Nov 2005

LAT56

LizM
My sympathy to you and your family in the loss of your dog. It is very painful to loose a family pet. I imagine you have many fond memories of his 11 years with you.

kim825

LizM
I am sorry to hear about your pet. A pet is truly part of a family. My heart goes out to you and your family today.

Kim

AnnaM

I am so sorry to hear about your dog, Liz. I am glad you and your family got to say goodbye to him. I bet that dog had a wonderful life.

Anna

AnnaM

Kim, what wonderful news about your PET scan results!

Anna

sierrasusieq

Liz, it is a very painful thing to lose a family pet. My heart goes out to you and your husband at this time of loss and I totally understand the emotion you must be fealing with having all the BC ordeal to go thru and now this. Sending you prayers for healing from your loss.

Anonymous

Kim, I cheered out loud when I read about your great news!!!! Prayers work for us, don't they?

Liz-I am SO sorry about your doggie. Not that it is the same situation, but we had to have our 12 year old doggie put to sleep just after Thanksgiving, and my hubby had a really tough time with it, too. Our doggie was my husband's companion long before I came into the picture. I will be thinking of you, and praying for your comfort.

Kaye-still thinking of you and hope you are hanging in there.
I just keep losing weight like crazy. Not that this is a bad thing, but a little disconcerting because of the circumstances. How is everyone else doing with their weight? I've lost 18 pounds so far. I usually lose a TON of weight on chemo week, and gain some back the next week. However, this is now the off week, and I STILL lost weight.
I got some diflucan for the thrush in my mouth, and then I discovered a new mouth sore under my tongue. Gheesh. Does it ever end?!?!
Not looking forward to my new cocktail of taxol and carboplatins on the 5th. I was "used" to the AC and knew what to expect. Now it is all new to me again! Well, I am grateful that I am treating this beastly disease anyway.

I hope you are all doing well and feeling good. My son was a little STINKER today, and I am so happy that he is still napping.
Lots of love and prayers, Debbie

Mary-Lou

Kim , such wonderful news!!!! I feel much better this time after the last of my A/c. I didn't have the Neulasta shot this time.

That made me so sick, the onc said he would try with out it this time. Made for a good New Year!!!!!!

Hope every one has a good night tonight. And a wonderful 2006.

Blessings to you all

Mary-Lou

Liz, so sorry about your pet. Been there done that. They are just like children. My heart goes out to you.

Odalys

Hi ladies.
Finish 3/3 AC treatments yesterday. Yeah!!!!! Treatment felt better that the other two, nurse was great she took her time finding the port and only stuck me once!!! For the first time I felt very sleepy and was able to take a little nap during treatment. I got home and went to bed from 7PM to 7:30 AM what a blessing. No wonder I'm not tired today.

Mary-Lou - Awesome. It's great to be finished with one phase of treatment. Hope not having the Neulasta shot helps. So far I have not had one. My onc only gives it if I needed. But blood levels have been normal.

Kim- Great news, Yeah!!! Keep kicking BC's but. Oops...usually I don't use the word but, but lately I've been watching too much "Sponge Bob Square Pants" cartoon with my seven year old. the cartoon is so funny and contagious and the jokes are mainly for the parents.

Liz - sorry about your pet. I love dogs and had two for 16 years. I know how much we love them and miss them. God bless you and your family and help you heal.

Debbie - What does your Onc say about the 18 lbs? I'm not surprised you have lost weight considering your hard time lately first with the infection, depression, now with thrush and I think you also had mouth sores? It's hard to eat sometimes. I hope you can get rid of the thrush soon. Hang in there. As Lana would say "Chins Up". BTW- I'm constantly watching my weight. Because chemo gave me hand and foot syndrome I haven't been able to keep up with my weekly walking routine. The bottom of my feet hurt and I'm swollen a lot. I have gained 3 pounds, but don't know if it is due to the swelling. Onc told me I would probably gain weight on taxotere. I hope I don't. Now that I finished AC maybe I can exercise again.

Kaye - thinking of you and hoping you are feeling better.

Wishing you and your family a healthy and cancer free 2006! Thank you all for sharing and making my journey feel less scary and possible. God bless you all.
Loye you.

LAT56

To all of the special women on this November board,
Happy New Year! Keep Strong.
LAT56

Baboca

Hello Ladies! Thank you very much for welcoming me here.
I will be back often! I am done with AC youupiieee moving on to Taxol, which apparently is better to tolerate?

Kim: That is great news!

HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF US!

Anonymous

Hi ladies!!

Odalys-I remember reading about the hand and foot syndrome...what exactly do you experience? The bottoms of my feet are SO sore, and my nail beds hurt. Today, the skin on my hands is flaming red, and hot to the touch. I have my next treatment on the 5th, and will be asking my onc. about the weight loss. I did gain a half pound today. YAY! I ate mexican food last night, and my mouth sores were on FIRE. I didn't care though, because it was the first day I'd had an appetite in ages.

Well, I am going to go and "celebrate" a bit with my hubby. Praying for health for all of us!!! Love and prayers, Debbie

Nancy-SanDiego

Happy New Year sisters. I have been catching up on the posts and welcome newcomers to the board. Everything you need is here and if not, just ask. You'll find information on treatments and practical advice on minimizing side effects. We celebrate each others successes (Kim, awesome news) and cry for sisters who are really struggling. Kaye, Debbie, I am sooo sorry that this us taking such a terrible toll on you right now.

My hope for 2006 is that we find comfort in the support of our family and friends, the knowledge of our medical teams, the advances in treatment options, and in our commitment to never let this beast define us or defeat us.
Nancy

Nancy-SanDiego

Sent the last message without reading and forgot to add:

Liz, our pets are a big part of our family and it is incredibly sad to lose someone we love. I lost Kitty Kimerly 2 months shy of her 20th birthday. We still talk about what a special cat she was and what an important part of my son's childhood and our family. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Sounds like several of us are finishing one series and getting ready to start another. Is anyone getting Taxol/Herceptin weekly? What are you hearing about the difference in side effects/recovery time between weekly and every 3 weeks?

Nancy

AnnaM

I go in for A/C #4 on Tuesday. This past week was great in terms of how I felt physically, but I cried from Tuesday through Friday. I just couldn't shake it. I couldn't go out for walks or anything. I was just a basket case! My head is better now.

Nancy: I start weekly Taxol/Herceptin on the 23rd of January for 12 weeks. My oncologist says that's the way she prefers to administer the Herceptin. Weekly. I've been reading the her2 girls thread on Help Me Get Through Treatment and it looks like what most of those who are getting the weekly have been saying is that the smaller dose lessens potential side effects. Of course then you have to go to the oncologist's every week. I guess it's a trade-off. When exactly do you start? Will you be doing the weekly? Can we hold hands? How far away from your home is your oncologist's office? Have you had a MUGA? What does your onc. say about getting a follow-up?

Happy New Year to my dear sisters, all of you.

Anna

wenblown

Kim: I am so happy for you on the PET scan!!! What awesome news!!!


Welcome Baboca: the boards are great if you can keep checking in.

Liz: - neulasta shot, I use vicadin. It's the only thing that touches the pain. But as onc says: if you have pain, then the white blood cells are improving

Thanks for the support ladies. My hubby is starting to get low on support at the moment. We have four children, he's self employed (slow time for homebuilders) and he helps take care of my needs. Our church/school is helping 4 nights a week for meals. And we have our house cleaned 2 X a month from my Mother-in-law. So the help has been tremendous, but it has been hard on him.

I am still trying to work 3-4 days a week part time (I work for an Escrow/Title Company) just to keep busy in the real world and not get depressed. I am still coaching Volleyball and volunteering at church when I can. I have found that to keep my mind in a better place.

I want to wish each of you a very Happy New Year. I have been so touched by your kinds words. Take care

Odalys

Hi ladies.



Sounds like 2006 has started on an emotional note for a couple of us. Thoughts of my own mortality has been brought to the surface. Mom is not doing well in/out of the hospital and now feels very week does not want to eat and every time I speak with her she says goodbye. Ay! I’m heartbroken, couldn’t rest last night felt her spirit was coming into my room to kiss me goodbye. Spooky! Also my 92 y/o neighbor from across the street died yesterday from Leukemia. Wow, I’m really spooked. All I can do is pray for strength. I need to believe I’ll be ok no matter what lies ahead. The Serenity Prayer has been very comforting. Life is hard.



Debbie – I get Hand and Foot Syndrome usually around the 3rd day after chemo. I get tingling in my hands and feet. They swell up, start to turn red and hot and by the 5th and 6th day they feel like they’re on fire. I’ve learned to manage it by rinsing my hands and feet in cold water, even taking cold showers. Sometimes I have to place ice packs on them; bringing down the temperature helps immediately. MD also prescribed vitamin B6 and it seems to help the symptoms. Unfortunately, Onc told me all we could do is manage the symptoms, if we don’t the condition will just get worse. Are your feet, nails, and skin feeling better now? Is this the first time you experience these symptoms? Do you think the spicy Mexican food could have caused it? I picked up a brochure on this disorder. Glad to post it (or e-mail it) in .pdf format, just let me know.



Wendy – I have short term disability insurance but chose to continue working to keep some balance and also my sanity. I find that if I stay home I tend to focus on my own struggles. So far, my boss has been very supportive by flexing my schedule, therefore minimizing days off. This is easy to do in Academia. BTW- my hubby is also starting to feel the stress, so much so that he chose to work on New Years Eve. Poor man he just does not know what to do with all his feelings. All along he has been like a rock just waiting for me to finish 3/3 AC. Now that I have, he seems to be allowing himself to show more emotions. He does not seem to be so concerned with me taking taxotere because the doctor said it was an Angel compared to AC. Poor man...he lost his mom and maternal grandmother both to cancer, a month apart of each other, about 2 years ago. He told me "...there is no way cancer will take away all the women I love."



Hugs...

Anonymous

Hi ladies,
Hope you are all feeling good today.

Odalys-That sounds exactly like what I've been having!!!!!!! I would love an email of the info whenever you get a chance. The girls in the chat room thought it might be because I've been skimping on the water, so I have been chugging like crazy today, and it is better. Not great, but better.
Love and prayers, Debbie

Odalys

Debbie - Sorry to hear that's what you're experiencing. It can be very painful. Try soaking them in cold water, even on ice. I'll try to post the brochure tomorrow. Take care.

kim825

Good morning everyone. Who has treatment this week? I think we should post this question every Monday (yeah I know it is Tuesday, but yesterday just felt like a Sunday, LOL).
I have my 4th treatment of Taxotere tomorrow. I don't think the onc. will change chemo drugs since the Taxotere appears to be working on the spots and lump.
Odalys, praying for your mom. My husband is doing a little better now, but when this first started he was a basket case. A rock for me, but it was eating him up inside. They need someone to talk to also. My husband feels better when he talks to his sister or brother. I'd love to find him a support group for caretakers.

hugs,
Kim

Odalys

Kim - Thanks.

Debbie- I just e-mailed you a copy of the brochure.

Take care ladies. Hugs...

miraclegalval

Hi there,
I'm here on this site for the first time. Had a diagnosis March 05, dcis, plus invasive, 2cm, with 3 of 11 nodes involved. I am 41, and have a 3 yr old son. After a lumpectomy, and halfway through 6 chemos, my husbands wonderful old dog doed as well. the short story is, we woke up early one summer morn, old Bear breathing very loud and whining, so off to the vet, where he was put down. It was incredibly sad, and seemed to add to our already traumatic world.
I have sicne had a double mastectomy with recon, and am halfway through radiation (28 treatments).
I feel ok,but chemo made me very sick, and frankly I am tired of treatment. My marriage is also on shaky ground.
God Bless all you women, we are warriors.

Anonymous

Hi Val....welcome to our little group, you will find a great source of support here. These ladies have gotten me through a lot of tough times.

I'm sorry about your doggie-seems a bunch of us lost our doggies during treatment! We lost our 12 year old dog just after Thanksgiving-Jake was my hubby's companion long before I came into his life. We had to have him put to sleep, too. I know that is hard for a family to lose a pet.

Odalys, I got the brochure, thank you so much!!

I'm doing ok today....I have gained about 4 pounds in the last 3 days. I can't stop eating junk food. It's ok, I was worried about losing so much weight like that.

Kim-I have my first treatment of taxol/carboplatins scheduled this Thursday. I'm worried, it is a new drug for me, and I have NO idea what to expect. I'm looking forward to not feeling barfy, and I'm told I won't get mouth sores from this one *YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Thinking of you all, and praying constantly!!! Debbie

Marcia320

Hi Val - welcome - these ladies are just so wonderful! They are so inspiring and supportive.

Debbie - glad you are gaining again. Good Luck with the new treatment - hope you have a much better time with it. I'll be thinking of you.

I have my 3rd CMF treatment tomorrow - hoping that it goes as well as the first 2 - hope I didn't just jinx myself

LAT56

Welcome Val - You'll be glad you found this site, lots of support, information, etc...

Kim & Marcia - good luck with treatments tomorrow.

Debbie - I understand about the junk food. Now that my taste buds are finally working again, all I crave is junk food.

Does anyone else experience buring pain on their incision site? I had left side mastectomy Oct.28 and there are days when the incision site is on fire! Treatment #3 of ACF is scheduled for next Monday. I needed the Neulasta shot after #2 - hoping for better WBC this time around.

Take care everyone! You are in my prayers,
LAT56

kim825

Marcia good luck with treatment tomorrow.

Debbie, glad to see the scale is going up.

Welcome Val, glad you found us.

Lat56, can't help you with the burning pain (no surgery yet). Hopefully someone here can give you some answers.

Kim

Nancy-SanDiego

Lat 56, I still get shooting and burning pains around my incision and where they injected the radioactive isotope (nipple and it HURT) and this all started in October. I guess those pesky nerve endings remind us.

Debbie, if it tastes good, eat it. So far, I have only lost 7 pounds and expect that I will pick them right back up with Taxol. Since I am not eating anything that can't be peeled or cooked, my new favorite veg is jicama--cold and crunchy. Doesn't taste like anything but I'm not tasting anything anyway, so its all about the texture.

Val, welcome. This is a very smart, caring group of women who support each other in every way. This damn disease affects every part of your life and those closest to you. I suspect that 5 years from now, I will look back at my priorities, my relationships, my work and my life and see many changes and expect that I will be better and stronger.

Odalys, so sorry about your mom. Its been a long road for you. I'm wishing you both some peace.

Odd thing yesterday. Woke freezing and with a temp of 102.8. When I woke up again, it was 101.8, so I called the onc-on-call and he said come in. I took a shower and drove the 20 miles in blinding rain, only to discover that I had forgotten my purse with health card, drivers license, money for parking, etc. So, drove back home and laid down w/Tylenol. When I woke, temp down to 99, so went back to bed. This morning, I feel fine and temp is normal. Weird. Onc nurse today really let me have it for not going back to the hospital, so I am chastised and have learned my lesson. Anyone have a similar experience?

Nancy

grace05

We that share Chemo treatments starting in November, hugs, many prayers are always going out your way. My husband is a preacher when we pray together I make sure we include this post.

Val-welcome, welcome, welcome you will find this group very informative.

Debbie-speaking of taste buds...mine have been soaring...one moment I can't taste anything and later on it seems to get better and you want to eat everything.

Kim-so glad to hear your good news. I'm taking taxotere and that makes me feel that will defintely work!

Kaye keep the Faith.

Nancy isnt' it amazing how you went through all that you did and still came out being just fine afterall. What we go through at times.

I had Chemo #3 (80 miles away) and a Neulasta Shot in my hometown for the first time. The next day I was not feeling well didn't want to eat anything, I had to force myself to drink and eat. It was horrible, I can't figure out if it was the the shot or just the Chemo, Taxotere, AC. Does the Chemo get worst the more you take treatments or does it just depend on the person. And like I said I can't taste well at all.

Blessings!
Grace

AnnaM

I had A/C #4 today and all went like the previous three infusions, except that my counts were higher than they have ever been, and this without neulasta or anything like that. Maybe there is one plus to being on the 3-week regimen after all; I've always thought it was a bummer because it drags everything out so much.

Kim and Marcia, good luck tomorrow, no it's actually today!

Debbie and NancyK, I wish I could say I was worried about weight loss. Maybe it's the effects of the decadron in today's drip (which is also probably causing the length of this post, help! I can't seem to shut down!), but I am all about sweet stuff, expecially the almond toffee we got from our real estate agent for Christmas. I had never had real almond toffee before, and now I want to know where that came from. This is the texture I crave, Nancy, toffee.

Baboca and Val, I am glad you found us. I hope you come often. I believe the women on this board are truly angels.

Kaye, I hope we hear from you soon. I hope you know we are all holding you in our thoughts.

Grace, I think my chemo treatments (only A/C thus far) themselves have been similar in terms of how I've felt during and right afterwards. The thing that seems to be cumulative for me is the fatigue. I was a couch babe only on days 3 and 4 the first time, days 4 - 6 the second time, and days 4 - 7 the third time, with lots and lots of weepiness thrown in that last time. I hope I don't get the weeps this time, that was really hard.

Odalys, I wish we could all zoom down and sit with you on the beach and say the Serenity prayer together. Just imagine the sound of all these rich, understanding voices. Just think of what a good track that would be to play in our heads whenever we need some healing.

Liz, we are planning to go to the animal shelter later this week. We had to put down our little Jack Russell 18 months ago and it is now time to take in another pet. I had to put my cat to sleep 4 years back and that was hard, he was 17. His name was Puccini. I am really a cat person, having grown up with and lived with cats till just 4 years ago, but my husband is truly afraid of them and can't relax with a cat in the same room. So we'll be looking for a little dog, one who promises to stay small and promises not to be too yappy. We're really just looking, there's no plan to adopt right away, we want to do some research, but it's exciting all the same.

Maybe I shoud get off now. I'm still going strong and could probably clean this whole house, but I'll refrain and start reading my new book; reading usually helps me fall asleep.

Good luck to all my chemo sisters,

Anna

c2et

Hello everyone:
I would like to join this group if I may. I'm in the 4th month of doing classic cmf. I'm starting to get worn down and it's getting harder--I thought giving and getting support from others would help!!!
This board is wonderful and helped me get through my 2 surgeries.
Happy New Year