February 2011 chemo pals

Paula66

Yahoo!  Im doing the happy dance!  Im did my last chemo.  I dont have to do rads but I will start tamoxo for up to five years.  Thanks go out to all of you on this thread.  I was able to get thru this with help from you all.  Continued good luck for you gals stil doing, you will get there.

SpecialK

So, so happy for you Paula!  It has to feel great to be done!

Paula66

Thaks SpecialK !!!  I'm so glad to be done.  I am nervous at the same time.  The Onc says that is normal.  I know its just a matter of time that will change.  The good thing is no more yearly mamos anymore.  Since Ive had a BMX they will run different tests.  He did tell me that on my next visit my Onc will show me how to do a breast check.  Since I have TE things feel different.  He wants me to know how to feel for it. 

Pejkug I have added your whole family to my prayer list.  Im sorry to hear about your MIL.

SpecialK

Paula - I know I will be nervous too - ending active treatment seems to leave you with a "now what" outlook!  I will continue Herceptin and then add an AI, as well as have some more surgery so it won't come for a while!  How long until you have surgery?

ruffy

Congrats Paula!!!

lorenar

PEJKEG: So sorry about your MIL health. I hope she turns out fine in the end. She will be in my prayers. Sukie10: I eat at least one salad a day and take a vitamin B supplement. It is normal for us all to have certain days we just dont feel like motivating, but yours doesnt sound like it is like that. I would def. talk to the doc. and see what he may suggest for you.  Everyone else: Those of you having SE I hope they go away soon. Glad for those of you doing well. As for myself I have been kinda tired today and legs and feet kinda hurt but all in all not to bad.off next Wed. for #4.

Paula66

I have to wait for my white counts to come up to a level the Onc and PS can agree on. Onc says it should take a few weeks after my nuelasta shot to really start kickn in. Im hoping to have the exchage soon, but not to soon.  If I have to wait for a few months, I'm ok with that.  I just want to make for sure Im at a safe place as far as my health before I do it.  

Its funny thats how I feel, now what.  I remeber a time during A/C I just didnt know if I could do it, but I did.  Its funny how you get the fight gear on, and it becomes a part of who you are. Then I get to the end and I still have my gear on and am nervous to start taking some of the pieces off. I think its something that will come with time.  Continued good luck for you SpecialK.

SpecialK

Your analogy with the "gear" is excellent - you are right it is going to take some time to return to normal - whatever that is, going forward!  After this experience we will all be living, and hopefully thriving, in a new world.

Paula66

Thanks Sara, yours should be coming soon!

Yea SpecialK I'm still triyng to find out what that is going to be.  I just know moving forward is how  we gotta look to.

sukie10

So I decided i'd better get checked out since this is not like my other 3 doses. I am slightly anemic and have a UTI. Chronic fatigue is apparently quite normal on chemo, although I might get some relief after I get these other 2 issues under control. I have antibiotics and it's going to be a wait and see with the anemia. So I may or may not be getting treatment on Wed. I'll keep loading up on high iron foods and they suggested orange juice with each meal to help with absorption. I'd really like to stay on schedule with the chemo. The sooner I get this done the better.

Paula, sooo happy for you. Go out and enjoy your life!! 

MamaV

sukie - glad you went with your gut and got checked out.  Hopefully the antibiotics will help quickly and you can keep on track.

Taxol #4 was uneventful.  Seems like doing this weekly really does limit SEs.  OC lowered the steroid levels to hopefully help with the anxiety.  So far no numbness in hands and feet, but I sure do get a killer lower back ache for about 3 days after.  Nothing a heating pad and advil can't handle so far.

There are too many others to catch up with - just know you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Vicky

DivineMrsM

Boy those steriods do a  number on me when it comes to anxiety, too!  My onc adjusted my steroids too altho today i am still coming down off the steroid anxiety.  I hate it, it's one of the worst parts of chemo SE.  Am hoping for a better tomorrow as i have a school banquet to attend with my son.

MamaV

MrsM - how did the school banquet go?  Reminding me of all the times I had to go do things and pretend all was well when I was feeling really crappy.  Hope it was a good experience.

V-

christina1961

Pejkug,

I'm so sorry about your mother in law.  Just know that we are all thinking of you.

DivineMrsM

MamaV, the banquet went nicely, thanks for asking.  I took it very easy all day today. I have learned to pace myself. That banquet took forever (as in several hours!) lots of awards to pass out but still nice!  I was glad I was up for it, as my only child is graduating so we're heading towards the end of the high school years and i don't want to miss the pomp and circumstance.

MamaV

MrsM glad to hear it!

coffeegirl1

Getting nervous treatment 4 is tuesday

I feel like crap 

knee is killing me mouth is sore and feel like I am getting tooth pain

as well when I pee it is strange all bubbly 

arm is still sore but the vein is softening up a bit .

really at odd still about doing this .

is any on else doing FEC D like me

dogeyed

Coffeegirl, Emily in Ontario in this forum is doing FEC D chemo, hopefully she will drop in and reply to you, or you can go to page 47, her avatar is yellow flowers, click on her blue name to go to her profile page, there is a place to send her a private message, too.  Then I did a general search of all the forums using "FEC" and came up with Robyn, she's also in "Chemotherapy Before, During, After," but with the "Chemo May 2011" bunch, her avatar is the Australian flag and posted on page 8 and 11, they're only up to page 12 now, so you could post within the forum to get her, or send her a private message too.  I hope your doc will give you good pain meds, and when my mouth was sore I could only eat soft foods.

Divine, I'm glad banquet went well.  I get very nervous and tired on this chemo Taxol I'm on now, too, a very uncomfortable feeling.  So I take a half Valium in the afternoon on the couple days I get that way (a cousin to your Ativan), but I'm used to fooling with tranquilizers.

Ruffalo, I loved your little story a couple pages back about you and your father in law putting in a garden and how the bunnies in the area might eat your produce!  Husband and I used to keep a couple house rabbits, they were such magical creatures.  Now we just gaze at wild ones eating our clover.

All, I got something in my left eye the other day, irritated it all afternoon, so I finally asked husband to shine a flashlight in there and see what was going on, and I also asked him about my eyelashes, since the girls here had talked about losing them.  He said nothing was in my eye, but I had ONE eyelash left on there!  Ha!  Fuzzy, I am worried over you, please be okay, girl.  GG 

SpecialK

sukie10 - I had a UTI after tx#2 - once it was undercontrol I did feel better.  I think it is pretty common due to all the irritation being caused.

coffeegirl1 - you can do this!

I am glad you ladies were discussing the anxiety caused by steroids - I had not been given the before,during and after until the last tx, I was only getting them the day of.  Due to a rash they changed the dosing so now I get more.  I was very keyed up Sat. night but couldn't really attribute it - now I know!  Thank you!  We attended a wedding, which was rough - chemo was Thurs. - but I was determined to go!  We had fun but I just couldn't relax after getting home and felt irritable even though we had such a good time and I was so tired.  Doing alright now though - I am in the crash period so just want to lay down!

EmilyInOntario

I am here....day 4 post chemo which is always rough. The reduced dose of taxotere didn't make much difference as to how bad I feel so will postpone the Happy Dance for a few days I think..*L* It's the last chemo so counting the days until I feel human again. I am thinking now the steroid crash and neulasta probably have a great deal to do with the bad days as one would expect a 25% reduction in taxotere should have made some difference.

Coffeegirl..you can PM me with any questions. I had 3 rounds of FEC and 3 rounds of D ( taxotere) I had bad leg pain with taxotere and took oxycodone for 5 days starting day 4 each round of taxotere.Expecting the same this time. My mouth was also very sensitive and I used Magic Mouthwash and very soft toothbrush with warm water and sensodyne toothpaste. Keep your mouth moist as much as possible and drink lots. Try not to think of the next round too much when you feel at your worst ..one day at a time. This isn't easy but we have to do everything we can to fight this cancer. Get the tooth pain checked out if it gets bad. I had a tooth pulled 2 days before round 2 of FEC and have had no problems since.

Congrats to all my sisters finishing this week..on to rads for me in June.

Melanie_Ann

Hi ladies! I've been keeping up but haven't had much time to post lately with work and all! I just wanted to pop in and say tomorrow is my last chemo!!!!!!! woo hooo! I can't believe it's here! Felt like it would never happend. So I should be down this week and have more time to catch up on here.

have a great weeke everyone!

coffeegirl1

congrat Melanie

I can't wait for this to be over too.

EmilyInOntario

Melanie_Ann..great news..congratulations!

And to anyone else I missed...brain doesn't retain anything anymore....congrats! Should we start composing a list of graduates??

SpecialK

Yay for melanie!  We should probably have a list.  We all started at about the same time but now are going off in all directions doing different things!  I too am having trouble keeping track.

Dogbiskit

Yay Melanie!!!!!!!

pejkug3

Hello to all my "Chemo Pals".

Congrats to all you finishers!!!  YAY!

I'll be in the chair for #5 TCH on Thursday.  I've been so emotional since my MIL's Stage IV lung cancer diagnosis, I'll probably be a mess on Thursday.  Thursday is my daughter's birthday - she would have been 9 years old.  She died in a household drowning accident several years back.    I have friends coming to hang out with me at chemo.  I think they're just curious about how it all works.  That will be a welcomed distraction.

I'm still struggling with my eyes.  I'm planning to ask the onc about it this week.  Maybe I'm a hypochondriac.    Seriously, the papilledema is real.  The scary things in my mind make me crazy though.  The onc may be able to talk me off the ledge or he may recommend an MRI of my brain.  I'm trying to make peace with whatever outcome happens, regardless.

My MIL started Taxol/Carbo. yesterday.  I'm praying that she does well with the chemo.  She's very sensitive to meds, so either the chemo will work very well or she will have every single SE and not be able to tolerate the chemo.  They told her that without chemo, she probably has two weeks...certainly less than a month.  With chemo, 6-12 months, maybe more.  My FIL breaks my heart.  He's just so overwhelmed and he's normally a guy who's in control and the "Chief Indian".  And my MIL's father is equally heartbreaking.  He just turned 85 and he's just heartsick over all of this.  Watching him care for his daughter (57) in the hospital is so sweet and so sad at the same time. 

MIL and I had a difficult relationship for all the time DH and I have been married (working on 17 years).  We finally made peace in October - before either of us knew that we had cancer.  For that, I'm thankful.  But I cannot help be wish we could have made peace years ago.  But no looking back, right?  She told me that she loved me when we were leaving the hospital - first time ever. 

 I just don't understand why this is all happening, you know?  *sigh*

MamaV

pejkug3 - I am so sorry to hear you being forced to deal with all of this at once.  I will be in the chair on Thursday as well and will pray for peace and strength for you and your family.

I am so jealous of all of you finishers.  I'm on the chemo train until July 7th  

Paula66

Congrats Melanie!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Pejkug you are in my thoughts. 

 

LisaGH

pejkug3- thinking of you & your family. so sorry to hear all going on. wish you well for TCH5.

i am glad to be a week out of round 5. nervous again about my counts that will be checked tomorrow when i go for weekly herceptin. also have an echo.

energy level/fatigue is the worst part for me this round. two weeks from tomorrow for round 6? YES! I want to graduate from TCH. I don't feel that way about the Herceptin. It will be nice to have a doctor visit and be checked every 3 weeks....as much as i hate the taxotere/carbo part...

thinking of you all. even if we are not all done- we have come so far! thanks for the support from those underway and those who are done. just wish there was one of those magic energy drinks for the fatigue part?? and someone to take some pounds that i have gained along the way (still stunning to gain weight and eat so little w/ chemo!!!)

Lisa

Paula66

Lisa I hear ya on the energy levels.  That has been one of my biggest issues this whole time.  It didnt matter what I ate or did, still no energy.  I sure wish there was a magic drink, lol.