Calling all ladies in their 20's

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  • jcoutee
    jcoutee Member Posts: 58
    edited April 2011
    hdanglebaby- i was taking vicodin for pain here and there with the taxol and had no problems with it.  I switched to AC on april 1 and took a vicodin on april 4 and april 8 and i got super sick both times.  it was horrible so i realized that i cant take that now until after i finish the AC.  I was having a hard time finding a good nausea medicine that worked.  i have a purse full of rx's and its crazy because i feel that same way too!
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  • jcoutee
    jcoutee Member Posts: 58
    edited April 2011
    alicia-rae- i read your sister comic strip and cried!  i loved it and the personal pictures brought tears to my eyes.  i too was breast feeding a 2 month old when i found my lump so i definately can relate to you and how you feel about your baby being your savior.  i also have a 4 year old that i am fighting to stay healthy for.  we read everyones comments and complaints on here and take inspiration from each other but its really nice to see photos of each others lives!  Good luck with everything and kiss your baby!!!
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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2011

    ANGELBABY - I did taxotere not taxol, but did experience 8/10 body aches at times! I used Dilaudid and it worked fine without making me high.  It did cause constipation though... took 2 stool softners everytime I took some Dilaudid.  i hope you find something that works for you! And don't feel like an addict, you shouldn't have to endure pain. 

    MELANIE - I'm glad you didn't have a PE! The treatment sucks! shot in the belly everyday for 6 months minimum! And the stuff burns like hell! 

    JCOUTEE - have you tried Emend? It's amazing for nausea! Expensive, but it the best I've tried so far without causing constipation!

    Praying for all of you  wonderful ladies :) Keep kicking cancers ass!

    I have chemo tomoro... and onc visit... I wonder if my dose will be changed due to the blood clot problem???

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  • selfmedicatinggirl
    selfmedicatinggirl Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2011

    Hi girls - I agree with Nannababy on Emend. It worked like a charm for me. I got given it together with a drug called Clopamon.

    After the op I was taking Tramacet for pain (you need a script). Also worked really well but also made me constipated. Since then I've only been on the occasional Myprodol when I go for fills. Not sure if all of these meds are available in your countries but thought I'd put my 2 cents in anyway in case they might work for you!

    Good luck with the uphill battles! Good luck with chemo tomorrow Nannababy! Mine's on Thursday and have the feeling I'll be bald by then. Hair's falling out like crazy now! Having friends over and hoping that I don't get any in the food!

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  • jcoutee
    jcoutee Member Posts: 58
    edited April 2011

    i am giving the emend along with the chemo treatments, can you get a pill to take?

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  • selfmedicatinggirl
    selfmedicatinggirl Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2011

    Yes, apart from the Emend with treatments they give me a lower dose (80mg) in pill-form to take once a day for 2 days after. This is given with clopamon (10mg) which I take 3 times a day for 3 days after treatments. This combo worked well for me. 

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  • jcoutee
    jcoutee Member Posts: 58
    edited April 2011

    thanks, im going for my 2nd ac on thursday so ill ask the dr about the emend

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  • bimmer2011
    bimmer2011 Member Posts: 30
    edited April 2011

    Hey Ladies - haven't been on for awhile but looks like lots of stuff has been going on!  Although I avery happy to have founfd this thread beacuse it so helpful  - it makes me sad that we are going through this and that some of us are going throuh even more!  It would be nice if this could be straight forward but I know that is just wishful thinking!

    I am heading for my mx on Thursday and I am composed on the outside but I am seriously freaking out on the inside!  Any tips from the ladies that have gone through one?  I do not feel ready for it at all.  I have been putting stuff off because I just dont want to think about the surgery at all (when I do all I just cry).  I had a major break down after my pre-opand havent recovered mentally since and I sure I wont after the surgery.  At this point I am just hoping it is not goingto be as bad as I am imagining.

    Keep fighitng ladies - we will beat this!!! 

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  • LibraryJenn
    LibraryJenn Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2011

    Bimmer - I hear ya.  I FREAKED out after my pre-op.  That was pretty much the only time I took Ativan because I needed it.  However, it wasn't even close to being as bad as I thought it would be.  My advice to you is: take an ativan the night before (or something else to help you sleep that won't interfer with surgery.  It's amazing what a decent sleep the night before will do for your mental state.  Drink lots of water today and tomorrow.  See if you can go for a massage with someone familiar with mastectomies and lymph drainage.  If they can get the lymph moving it really helps with recovery time. Take something to listen to that is relaxing.  I listened to a great relaxation CD that I put on my ipod - it was great at helping me stay calm.  Lastly, get moving as soon after as possible!  I felt fine by two days after surgery and was on the treadmill for a light walk.  Also, something that really helped me (but might seem a bit morbid to some) was write a letter to my husband and seal it incase something happened to me.  It sucked, and I cried like a baby, but in some strange way it made me feel better because I knew it was done.  We're all rooting for you!  Good luck and stay strong :)

    Good luck to everyone who has chemo this week :)

    Jenn 

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  • duckyb1
    duckyb1 Member Posts: 13,369
    edited April 2011

    This is all wrong................................You ladies should not even be on this website..............in my eyes you are all still babies................My God I have grandaughters your age, and the though of this happening to them is paralyzing...............I'm 76, and have lived my life..............no one deserves cancer, and especially not someone the age of you ladies.

    I will pray for all of you, and wish you the best............This is just not right.  We need a vaccine, and we need it now........Everyone is under the impression that BC is well on its way to a cure................they have no idea.............get it, and then see how far cancer has come...........we are still getting it, lets stop improving the Meds. for cancer, and come up with a vaccine   IS ANYONE OUT THERE LISTENING TO US......Yell God bless you all

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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2011

    Hi BIMMER - I hade a UMX in December and it was easy as pie! Compared to chemo!  The scar and look of the area really isn't that bad. I don't miss my boob too much.  I am extremely glad that the cancer was cut out!  A feeling a reflief.  I didn't have pain really, except one night my drain cramped up.  I was a basket case before going into surgery!!! I was all for nothin.  Take Care and good luck :)

    Chemo went well today.  No dose changes.  Pulmonary Embolism didn't seem to be of a concern because im taking Fragmin shots and tolerating it well.  I did ask for gene testing finally!  So I'm waiting to see the geneologist.  I am also conerned about colon cancer screening because my mom died from colon cancer in her early 50s.

    What kind of test are given efter all the treatments are done? Should I ask for full body and breast MRI? Bone scan and CT scans and such?

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  • texasrose361
    texasrose361 Member Posts: 1,829
    edited April 2011

    duckyb1- thanks for your prayers, and no i dont thnk anyone is listening :(

    nana- i think its a very uneventful end to treatment- most earlier stage patients just end and then wait 4 or 6 months for a routine scan, and unless you have sympoms thats it!

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  • hdangelbaby
    hdangelbaby Member Posts: 731
    edited April 2011

    my onc told me at my follow up (2 weeks after final chemo) that after rads, i won't have anything done till the mammogram in october.

    i should of asked "well how do i know it's all gone?"

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  • bimmer2011
    bimmer2011 Member Posts: 30
    edited April 2011

    Thanks for the support ladies.............I have managed to not freak out today but I am sure that tomorrow will be a different story.  My surgery is at 11:45 - I wish it was earlier so I didnt have much time to think about it!  I will touch base in a couple of days and let you know it went! 

    Stay strong everyone :)

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  • hdangelbaby
    hdangelbaby Member Posts: 731
    edited April 2011

    good luck bimmer!!!!

    you will be in my thoughts!

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  • Melanie_Ann
    Melanie_Ann Member Posts: 414
    edited April 2011

    Good Luck today Bimmer- thinking and praying for you!

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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2011

    Good luck BIMMER! You will do great :)

    I had a meeting today with the Chief at the hospital I went to initially for my severe chest pain.  They did a few things wrong and he agreed that the nursing staff wil require training.  I requested that I wait in an isolated room upon arrival to the ER and they told me if I am uncomfortable waiting in the waiting room full of sick people I can wait outside!  And they failed to thoroughly test me for blood clot in chest.  They could have sent me to CT scan, instead they sent me home.  I could have died at home!  6 hours later I went to the Ottawa hospital and was diagnosed with the pulmonary embolism, how come the Winchester hospital missed that ?!?!

    I am glad to get my frustrations off my chest.  The cheif was shaking during the meeting.  I told him next time if I go there and have troubles, I'm reporting them to the Ministry of HEalth!

    I used to work in health care, I know how it works :)  I don't want anyone else to go thru what I did!

    Take Care ladies! HUGS!

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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2011

    oh yeah, I had chemo yesterday.  No dose adjustment.  Didn't even get to see my onc. :( I saw his assistant.  Who is great! But, he is such a good doctor and I miss him :(  I wonder if next time I can mention that I'd like to see him more often...?

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  • Melanie_Ann
    Melanie_Ann Member Posts: 414
    edited April 2011

    Good for you for standing up for yourself! That is so scary to think of the what if's...That's why when I saw everyone's posts about PE's on Sunday, I called my ONC right away b/c I had been having chest pain for a day and a half and it kept getting worse. I didnt' want to move. Fortunately he took me seriously and I had a CT and echo with no sign of a PE. What a relief. They think its costochondritis- inflammation. So, I'm taking Tylenol...lol.

    Last time I went in for chemo, my ONC was super busy and I didn't get to meet with him before. I was disappointed too, but then he suprised me and came to see me in the infusion center right before I was done. He always insists on giving me a hug too everytime I see him. =) I feel pretty lucky. 

    So I would mention it Nanna! 

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  • TreadSoftly
    TreadSoftly Member Posts: 192
    edited April 2011

    Nanna Baby - Congrats on standing up for yourself and highlighting the poor care you received in the hospital, lets hope something is done about it now!!

     Alicia - Rae - your sisters website is fantastic!  Im sure your daughter will really appreciate it when she gets older.  It is a lovely idea

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  • WarriorPrincess24
    WarriorPrincess24 Member Posts: 22
    edited April 2011
    Ugh!!!! Ladies I need some help. I have completed A/C and am on 6/12 of Taxol. I'm pecking away at the keyboard b/c my pointer finger nails are sooo tender, but that I can deal with. I called my onco after hours last night on the verge of tears because my feet/hands were itching non stop. And not just the normal "tingling or burning" he expected. It is sooo intense. I feel like I stepped on an ant bed barefoot! This was the second time I mentioned this discomfort to him but after last night he gave in and prescribed me Gabapentin. Do any of you have any experience with what I'm feeling or this drug? I'm just worried about the neuropathy being permanent....   Honestly, I would trade a few A/C sessions for what I'm feeling right now. It's soo hard to ignore at work or out in public. And the hot flashes, those are another story. But I'm going to start Effexor tomorrow for that. I was really hoping to make it through chemo with only the pre meds, rest, and moral support, but I know when enough is enough and I need help.
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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2011

    Warrior Princess - I wish I could help you!  I did Taxotere not Taxol.  I did have tingly feeling nails, but nothing like your experiencing! Can you call your onc? And ask him if you can increase your Gabapentin dose?  You hang in there!  Effexor will help with the hot flashes, it helped me tremendously!

     hugs

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  • texasrose361
    texasrose361 Member Posts: 1,829
    edited April 2011

    Warrior princess- i also did taxotere but they're in the same "Class of drugs" i had similar SE- first the itching it was so bad my hadns were red- more on the hand i write with... then came the numbness in the fingers and the toes. Just keep mentioning it to your drs every time you see them. There is a fine balance on how much nuropothy our bodies can handle and so i had to stop at 7 txs instead of the full 8 that i was supposed to take just to insure the SEs didnt become permanent (they luckily went away after a few months of stopping chemo)

    Nana- I am glad to hear you went back and talked to the chief- thy def arent on the front lines and NEED to know in what areas their staff is failing. I am glad you knew something was wrong and got medical care elsewhere!

    Bimmer- you're in my thoughts. Hope all is well!

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  • bimmer2011
    bimmer2011 Member Posts: 30
    edited April 2011

    Thank you everyone for your support - it has been really great!  The surgery is now done and over with and I am resting and recovering at home.  It really wasn't as bad as I expected as many of you mentioned.  I think it is the mental preparation that is hardest - I had a breakdown on the operating table just before they put me out but the anaestheologist(sp?) was very nice and comforting.  The worst part I have to say has been the drains and sleeping - I cant wait until I can sleep more comfortably.  I am sure that will take some time though.

    Well I just wanted to keep you guys updated and thank you all for your support and tips!!!  I am off to rest.

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  • texasrose361
    texasrose361 Member Posts: 1,829
    edited April 2011

    Glad to hear your doing good :)

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  • LibraryJenn
    LibraryJenn Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2011

    Bimmer - so glad that your surgery went well!  I agree that the drains are the worst part :(

    Texasrose - can I ask you a question?  How did you find out you had mets?  I've had crazy rib/shoulder pain for the past couple of weeks and I can't stop coughing.  I'm clear for blood clots, but that's about all I know.  I'm scheduled for a CT scan next week with a bone scan coming up to, and it's just getting harder for me not to "go there" with my thoughts if you know what I mean.  I'm trying not to think about it but when I feel like crap, it's hard not to.

    Nana - so glad you got the chance to let the chief know that there are some definite areas for improvement.  Do you think that we get treated differently up here because the way our healthcare system works?  I've always wondered. 

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  • NannaBaby
    NannaBaby Member Posts: 510
    edited April 2011

    Hi JENN - Ya I do think we get treated differently in Canada... It seems like you just need to accept what you can get.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the hard working healthcare staff, but the few that don't care, can take a hike!  They gave me a lot of morphine, so I asked for colace... the nurse refused! And said something like "oh! you're expecting full service here?!". I told her hell ya!!!

    Chemo tomoro...

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  • LibraryJenn
    LibraryJenn Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2011

    I hear ya! I have been to the ER twice in the past six weeks, met with my oncologist, my surgeon, had two chest x-rays, a lung scan, ct scan, and a future bone scan...and NO ONE bothered to tell me that I had pneumonia showing on the first chest x-ray...Frick. No wonder I feel like crap, between the pneumonia and the staph that was discovered LAST week (that I've had for at least two months) I've had my fill of our system. Part of my problem is that I live in a different a different health region than all of my primary doctors, but really. Anyway that's my rant for the day, I'm just so fed up. Hope everyone that celebrates Easter had a good one.

    Jenn

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  • LibraryJenn
    LibraryJenn Member Posts: 101
    edited April 2011

    Update to the last post...ct scan results came back. Have mets to my lungs (multiple spots) and my liver (9x4cm and 4x5cm tumors as well as more lymph nodes. Frick. I'm just so scared. All I wanted was to see my little boy grow up.

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  • selfmedicatinggirl
    selfmedicatinggirl Member Posts: 10
    edited April 2011

    Oh Jen.I am so sad to hear the news. I hate this disease! I hate that all of us are suffering so much because of it!!! It's just so cruel and unfair! I wish I could make it all dissapear but instead all I can offer you are my prayers and support.*huge hug*

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