Calling all TNs

Gemmy1

Sherry,

58 is so young! Keep fighting.

My BP hit that low during AC. They panicked a bit and sent me to hospital for immediate echocardiogram to be sure my heart had not been damaged by the AC. That was in March and I ran the Race for the Cure in October. Ran it!

Molasses helped to recover my RBC level. I had Nuelasta for the WBC, which made me ache like crazy! But my RBC was quite low during chemo. I had to have two transfusions. I wanted a natural way to increase my RBC and my acupuncturist told me to take 1 tablespoon of molasses every morning. With in a week it started to recover! I mixed it into my plain yogurt but you could take it plain. It's worth a try.

You are in my prayers. I hope you feel stronger soon.

Theresa

QueenKong

Gemmy - Molasses! What a great tip

suzette5956

I have finished chemo and rads beginning of Sept. I now have a heavy cold. Coughing up phlem. Worried that mets have spread to lungs. Am I being paranoid or should I get this checked out?

Reality

Thanks so much, Theresa (my son lives in Boulder - he loves it there) I put maple syrup in my yogurt every a.m. I will definitely try molasses!

Sherry

loveofcritters

Hi everyone, I am having nail problems too. My last chemo was in August and my nails have been gradually lifting but one on my thumb finally lifted almost off. Bandaids to hold it on right now is all I can do. I finished 4 AC treatments and only 2 Taxotere before I caved in and could not do it anymore. I'm taking a daily vitamin for hair and nails but it didn't work I guess.

Hopex3

Hello everyone;



Have any of you (kinda personal)'got yeast infections? Geez...I can hardly walk. Makes me mad cause I have energy today. Onc gave me a one time pill and over the counter one time med! Just had nulasta yesterday too...never had a problem with that until now! Shooting leg pains....or could that be my first bout with the taxol I had on Thursday ? I don't know....one day at a time!



Gemmy: love the molasses tip



Suzette : I would have your cough checked out especially with the plem. I wouldn't worry as there is a ton of colds and flu going around! I've had a cough and they put me on an antibiotic. Much better now.



Happy weekend....fire in the fireplace, going to make a casserole tonight and got the new people magazine with the sexiest men in it. Who hoo!

Reality

Hope - Yeast infections are awful - so sorry you have to deal with one. I used OTC cream to take care of mine. In fact, I just picked up a tube when I had my antibiotic script filled (infected port), as I know the antibiotics will cause me to have a yeast infection. 

Reality

loveof critters - so sorry about your nails - I lost several toenails and fingernails - all was back to normal about three months after I stopped Taxol. I finished it a year ago - still have numb toes. 

Reality

Darn - can't find the post now, but recall reading recently on this forum that someone has a bad cough and is concerned about lung mets - My humble advice - Advocate for yourself and push med profs to scan, xray, etc....I no longer have much confidence in my onc., but I really like my chemo center profs, so I stay with him. I am so glad I see the PNP three times a month and him only every 3 months. I can still see him sitting there at my first 3 mo. appt following lumpectomy and a path report that stated the tumor was triple negative, very aggressive and that I had an incomplete response to chemo. Wouldn't you think he would have done some type of scan? Nope - he said he takes the "wait and see" approach. Well, I waited and saw - a year after my lumpectomy, 6 lung lesions were discovered on a bone scan - yes - a bone scan I was having due to arm pain. a follow up CT scan and two bxs confirmed mets. My onc scrambed then - I had to start chemo immediately, even before a port was put in - he did not want to wait. Six lesions did not just suddenly appear - he should have scanned and found them a year ago! I have great insurance that pays for everything - there was no excuse to not order scans. Oh, I just love the excuse of "too much radiation" - My God, who cares after six weeks of five day a week radiation? What's another scan or two? Here's hoping that your cough is a cold or allergies - I did not have a cough. I still only have an annoying, nagging cough, but not bad. I do have a lot of pain in my lungs, though. 

You are in my thoughts. 

Sherry

QueenKong

Hopex3 - I had my first Abraxane (very similar to Taxol) 11 days ago after 4 rounds of AC. I too had horrid shooting leg pains. That's when the diarrhea started too.  I think the lomital they gave me wasn't working even though they said I needed more which I did and it still didn't stop but when I started the Imodium in the middle of the night, it helped. No diarrhea today. TMI? I digress.

Yeast infections - I was was prone to these before chemo so I stay on top of it with yogurt, the good stuff with all the Lactobacillus acidophilus on a daily basis. I prefer Brown Cow mapleor grass fed if I can find it. I also found this great product called Yeast Guard which really helps if I feel a little irriatated. I hope that one time pill works for you.

Suz - yes, get the cough checked! 

Reality - I couldn't agree more. You do need to advocate for yourself, knowledge is power and we can't just blindly trust medical professionals. How are the lung mets now? Going away? You can't get a new OC? Why am I angry right now? They said I couldn't have an MRI til all my chemo was done and I kept nagging for one and finally they gave me one which showed good results, just this past friday. I may not finish the rest of the chemo now which is killing me and go ahead with the surgery to see what the pathology is before continuing with more. I wanted this before I started the Abraxane. 

A port can get a yeast infection? omg. 

loveofcritters - so sorry about the nails, sounds painful

Gemmy - my BP runs low. When I was in the hospital last week they'd take my BP two or three times in row til they got it higher because they said the charge nurse didn't like such low numbers. What?  I'm glad to hear your ran that race! 

minxie

Netty - having been fortunate or unfortunate enough to have dealt with a local recurrence this May, 3.5 years after original diagnosis... here's how I understand it...

The main "good" thing about local recurrence is that it is not metasticized cancer, which means it is surviveable and operable. I had a lumpectomy and radiation to treat it.  Since it chose to stay local and not spread to the rest of my body, this is a positive sign that it does not have the characteristics of a metastisizing cancer... I hope.

The bad thing is that it means that in spite of all the chemo I suffered through with my primary diagnosis, some cancer cells are resistant to AC/Taxol, which is the most powerful chemo out, according to the specialist I consulted. And the really bad thing of course is that cancer cells have been hanging out in my body for 3.5 years, up to who knows what.

A new primary, which still sucks, is a better overall scenario, because this means that hopefully the last tx wiped out all of the previous cancer and this would an unfortunate but treatable new cancer.

Reality

Queen Kong - So glad your scan turned-out well. I will not have one for awhile, so I do not know how the mets are doing. So sorry I was rattling on during my infection post - I don't have a yeast infection in my port, just a regular post-op infection. Ice helps with the pain from the infection and the antibiotics seem to be kicking in. It's the antibiotics that cause the darn yeast infection - so far I don't have one - will keep my fingers (or maybe legs, lol) crossed! 

I know what you mean about chemo - I look at the IV bag and feel so guilty about what I am doing to my body. It is so ironic - I am killing my body to try to stay alive. Just does not make sense. I will be patient and do this carb/gem deal that onc is encouraging me to do, but if scans show the tumors in lungs are still growing, I will seriously consider stopping chemo. I know, easy to say now....

I am currently without a car, but searching for one. I have the money to get one - just not the motivation. I look on cragslist and send my adult son to check the cars out for me. I am seriously considering changing oncs. when and if I get a car. The only other onc center in my area is a very curvy, hilly one-hour drive away, so I will most-likely wait until spring to change oncs. as we have winter weather in the Adirondacks through early April.

You are in my thoughts Queen Kong, 

Sherry

Reality

....Queen Kong - addition to previous post - My onc is a nice guy, but simply stretched too thin to give patients the individual attention they need. He is a professor at a college in VT. (2 hours from my town). He also works in a hospital in Vermont three days a week and travels to NY every Thurs. and Fri. to run the clinic here. 

Reality

min - so sorry about your new primary. I know exactly what you mean about the resistance to AC/Tax. I did AC tax last year - post op path report stated, "incomplete response" to chemo, so those live cells were still traveling through me. So, only a year after lumpectomy, I have lung mets. My body is now rejecting Carb/Gem. Dosage has been reduced, but I am thinking that it really does not matter as I bet my next scans will show that the carb/gem, especially with reduced dosage, is not working. I do not mean to sound negative -I just know my body - I know that the lung pain, fatigue and shortness of breath are increasing. It's ok, though. At least I am trying what all the med profs are pushing me to do - when it does not work, then I can say "I quit". I really feel that my body is trying to tell me to stop. I truly believe I will find piece when I can stop chemo and just live every day to the fullest. 

Sherry

Reality

Queen Kong - I agree! Brown Cow is awesome - especially the cream top one!. My little town does not have many stores at all, but it does have a great health food store - they carry Brown Cow. 

BernieEllen

The Wonder of it all:

1. IF the sport of choice for the urban poor is BASKETBALL.

2. IF the sport of choice for maintenance level employees is BOWLING.

3. IF the sport of choice for front-line workers is FOOTBALL.

4. IF the sport of choice for supervisors is BASEBALL.

5. IF the sport of choice for middle management is TENNIS .

6. IF the sport of choice for corporate executives and officers is GOLF.

THEN THIS AMAZING CONCLUSION:

The higher you go in the corporate structure, the smaller your balls become.
Therefore, one might conclude, there must be a ton of people in Washington playing marbles.

BernieEllen

CatWhispurrer

For those prone to yeast infections, try Caprylic Acid capsules that you find in a health food store.   I used to be very prone to yeast infections until my PCP told me about this supplement.   It used to be that I could not take an antibiotic without getting a yeast infection, even if eating yogurt every day.  Now, when I feel one coming on, or when I am on antibiotics, I take the Caprylic Acid every day and it staves it off.   None of my other doctors have ever heard about it, but it works.

Reality - have you looked for trials that have new drugs?   If you don't think the current drugs will work, maybe try something else....  Praying for you.   ((((Hugs))))

Hopex3

Thanks everyone for advice on the yeast infection. Really appreciate all of you! I really don't know who I could go too with all these questions and thoughts!



Reality: Big hug to you!



Bernie: great laugh, thank you!



DH and I are going to buy the turkey now. Hope I can walk around the store without waddling. Hurts to wear pants...hmmm...

gillyone

Bernie - the Christmas gift post is a timely one. Something for us all to think about.

Luah

Netty: Minxie has provided an excellent explanation. Hope it helps. One thing I would add is that, yes, generally with TNBC the longer between first diagnosis and recurrence the better... as it suggests the chemo may have done some good and the cancer is somewhat less aggressive.  

Reality: Thinking of you and hoping the new drugs work their magic.

InspiredbyDolce

Hi Everyone!

I got this and just had to post it for you all as well!

FREE Nutrition and Recipe Book:

There is an amazing 330 page book you can download about nutrition that has some fabulous easy recipes.  It is 330 pages, and all you have to do is supply your e-mail address.  The book retails at $24.95 and you can opt to have it downloaded to your kindle, ipad, pdf file, etc.  Here is the link.  I've just learned how to use up all the veggies in the fridge with sweet potatoes!

Recipes start on page 262.  

http://www.integrativenutrition.com

OBXK

Debra - thanks for the heads up!

I just started a new cookbook "Eating well through cancer"

It has recipes for chemo days, constipation, low RBC, etc.

InspiredbyDolce

OBXK - I have the same book as you!  My insurance company is contracted with a wellness group, and when they found out my diagnosis they mailed me this book.  My husband and I took it to every chemo treatment and it gave us something to do and we would plan which recipes we would use!  I still refer to it for ideas.  

Cocker_Spaniel

Anyone heard of this??

QueenKong

Cocker Spaniel - I've seen the baking soda thing around the net. I add it to my water and drink it sometimes. The flushing directly I read about too. It seems hoaxy but could be effective. I know of no one oersonally that has tried it.

BernieEllen

Cocker_Spaniel

Hi Ladies

On reading the posts this freckin cancer causes so many problems. My heart goes out to all of you going through treament.  There always seems to be so much to be concerned about  whether you are having treatment or have gone through it,  in some cases more than once.  I am so over the big 'C'.  It steals your body, your mind and your life and leaves you with hardly any hope. When will we get a cure, a proper freakin cure and not half hearted attempts at it.  So many trials go on but nothing for us at the moment or in the near future.   I am so sick of it.  

On the home front I am back at the office, have been for two weeks but have still got the what if's.  So scared to plan and scared not to plan.  Off for a mammo on the right breast tomorrow and my stomach is already in knots.  When will this end so that we can pick up the pieces with confidence and start to live without worry again. It seems to be never ending.

Love to all you ladies and hope your treatments and side effects are few.  Annie     

      

Cocker_Spaniel

Love to you all

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NavyMom

BERNIE!!!!!  Have you been peeking in my kitchen window????  I was laughing so loud that my DH wanted to know what all the noise was about!  Thank you, ladie, for starting my day in such a funny way.

Been off the boards for several days.  I am trying to read and carcth up.  So sorry to hear that so many are stuggling.  Saying prayers for all of you.