Is there a July 2011 group?

rabbit

4honey, as they say here, welcome to the club no one wants to join. I must of missed your post, we were posting at the same time! I get a script for omeprazole (spelling?) like prilosec...take it daily and it's helped, I also keep a bottle of liquid maalox in the fridge and when I start to feel heartburn, esophogeal pain or gassy pain in the chest, I chug it and it almost always stops it in it's tracks. I am going to check out those sites thanks!

Izzy, yes!!! I do internet advertising for online poker rooms for 10+ years. I have played poker since I was a teenager. Here's a pic I just found of myself, about 50 lbs heavier, my exes last name, divorced now since 2006...and what used to be my beautiful long hair oh well....

http://www.pokerpages.com/player-profile/ellen-royston-ing.htm 

one of my sites is www.pokertournamentsonline.com if you ever play online..use my links, at least I'll get a commission or finders fee, better me than someone you don't know LOL. Oh and I can get some good rake back deals at some rooms.

The last live tourney I played was when I lived in Australia, a little over a year ago, 7 stud, we made a deal at the end with 4 of us and got like $1500 each on a $150 buy in. I play online off and on, and at the Horseshoe Casino every now and then, been many months now, I like to play in the HOSE game. I LOVE Omaha hi/lo and Omaha hi, so many don't know the game and if you can master that, you can almost always come out ahead with a little patience. I'm happy to chat with you or give you some pointers on Omaha, PM me I'll give you my phone number

shinypop

Okay, just a note...don't go days without pooping. I feel like a 2 year old that just used the potty for the first time and I feel like having a party. Don't let it go. I'm sure all of you are far more intelligent and know better. lol

rabbit

LOL shinypop! If I don't go once a day, I feel sick..I get bloated, headaches it's horrible.

And I have to tell you all a story which may make you all do something to make sure you go daily or close to it!

About 3 years ago my mom started getting these "episodes" of flushing in the face, nausea and she would sit on the toilet and just dry heave for like 20 minutes. This started as once a month or less...then about 6 months ago it was daily. It got to be 3-4 times a day at times.

We took her to every specialist, she had every single test you can imagine, scans of her brain, gastric emptying scans, colonoscopy, we had her in the ER several times because the zofran would not work anymore and she needed injections. My sister is a hospice clinical manager RN and she got a script for phenegran injections.

We went to an endocronoligist to check her for diabetes, or endo problems finally after months and months of misery for her, we went to a gastro dr. and they figured out it was constipation!!

Mom said she has been constipated since she was a child, going a few times a week was normal for her..now she takes mirilax a few times a day, poops daily or a few times a day and hasn't had an "episode" in about 3 months.  She tried some more natural fiber mixes but they didn't work.

God works in mysterious ways, we solved her problem miraculously a few weeks before my dx. It was to the point that someone had to be with her at all times, my sister lives with her but being an RN she works massive hours so I was spending the night sometimes (when I moved in with my fiance) and it was normal to get a phone call at 7am a few times a week to go to her house because my sister had to get to work. It's like God wanted her well to help take care of me! 

Moral of the story, constipation can make you deathly ill, avoid it the best you can!!!!  

Paintingmywaythru

So, I have to say that I drove back home from hanging a show and I was hating my wig and I took it off. Thought, oh well, someone will just think I have a basl head and it was freeing...maybe because I don't know anyone on the highway...but it was OK and it was my way of saying this is me.

I had my second TC Monday at 75% and I had my neulasta shot yesterday and was worried about SE"s because last time it was awful but I now think last time my WBC were going down so fast that all the SE's were the chemo and the infections and that is why I ended up inthe hospital. Today wasn't bad but the steroids...gee do they pump you up....revved!!!!!

J-Bug I think it is nice your 13 year old daughter is going with you. My 18 year old son...I know a big difference..... has had to drive me for the shots and for deep vein thrombosis tests when my husband was at work and he just acts calm and  sweet. Never asks questions, just sits and waits and then asks how I am.

Good point on constipation...all those drugs and then they tell you to take senakote and colace and it is hard  to keep up with everything.

Has anyone had Emend, the nurse thought I might be a candidate for it?

Rabbit...what a cool life playing poker...and I was able to get another agency to do cleaning when I asked the hospital social worker for a referral...it ended up being healthy hoems but is porbably local. I learned that I could get cleaning for a reason as well  but they were very very slow and healthy homes called within a week of the social worker filling out the form. Came tuesday and were great.

Getting an in home massage tomorrow AM  so off to bed.

rabbit

hi Susan

I take Emend, it must work, I've never thrown up and only had to take zofran a dozen times at most through 2 treatments, never was the nausea that bad, maybe a 5 out of 10 at most and that was day 1. It's very expensive though, I have decent insurance and the first time I bought it, it was $245, then I had met my pharmacy copay so the next time around it was $145 and supposedly $145 from here on out. That's for 3 pills! LOL

I am going to check out some other services for house cleaning....

off to bed myself

xoxoxo to all 

mommaof4

Hi ladies!  I haven't posted in a few weeks... Sooo many new people- welcome to all of you.  I had my 2nd TCH this Monday and I get a Neulasta shot at the same time.  I've felt tired but am now starting to feel the bone pain, no taste, etc... come on.  All in all, the 1st treatment wasn't so bad, maybe 3-4 really bad days out of 21.  I did have a really rough week last week.  I took my beloved mastiff (my baby) to the vet for a limp and found out he has bone cancer in his leg and there's nothing they can do.  He only has a few weeks to a few months.  I know he is a dog but he is such a sense of comfort to me, a family member, my baby...  I have just felt devastated!  During all this I started losing my hair which has been a very difficult thing for me and finally had it shaved last Friday.  My dh did surprise me on Friday with a shaved head when he came home from work which I thought was very sweet...  This bc journey is sooo hard some days.  I am thinking about and praying for all of you wonderful women

misswim

Momma, so sorry! We had to put our dog down a few years ago after finding out he had a liver disease....it's horrible. You are in my thoughts!

painting, the emend is amazing, I receive it IV and have never had a bad stomach day. Definatley lose my appetite but no real nausea to speak of. Are you receiving aloxi as well? It has a life of five days and is pretty amazing! Hope you feel better.

misswim

Does anyone find they have insomnia issues on chemo? I have Ambien to help, but it gets me 3-4 hours of good sleep and then I am up in two hour stretches? It's tough!

pinkpalette

Greetings all!  Just been thru second round of chemo TCH Monday. Feeling rough, kinda cloudy, sleepnessness, taste is awful, mouthsores a pain, bone aches, etc. I was wondering, do the SE's progressively build up and get worse as the treatments go?  I hope NOT!  The hair is coming out like crazy.  I'm looking like a wicked witch. I really wish I would have got a pixie cut weeks ago.  Tried my wig on and it just don't feel right.  Like it doesn't fit.  Wearing a baseball cap and feel OK with that.  I need to get a lint roller or something for all this shedding though. 

misswim-I have started having insomnia and I found that Melatonin has helped get me drowsy.  I believe dexxy (thanks dex) suggested it to me.  It works pretty good for me, and is drug free.  Thats a plus!

mommaof4-I'm am soooo sorry to hear about your mastiff.  I am a dog lover myself, have two lovable labs that are indeed part of the family.   My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, wishing you comfort and love.  This journey is difficult but we will prevail!!!!

Hugs, pp

FrancesC

Hello everyone, haven't posted for a bit but have been reading all the posts. On sleep, I have problems sleeping too. I go to bed at around 11.30 pm at night tired and fall asleep easily. BUT I wake up every 2 hours automatically. Eyes just pop open and takes me another half hour to fall back to sleep again. I don't get into deep sleep too and it seems like I am dreaming all the time. Brain seems to be on overdrive. Tried Ativan, helps a little but still wake up at least twice through the night. Chemo #3 for me this Monday, just when I start to be normal again.

Thinking and praying for all you brave ladies on this forum and here's wishing all a great weekend ahead free of worries and SEs.

khs113

Hi paintingmywaythru and fellow triple negative. Just had my 2nd TC infusion yesterday and go for my Nulasta shot later today. Why I feel amped up on the steroids I can tell I'm a little more tired this time round. Hope I don't wind up in bed for three days because of the Nulasta. Last time I had to resort to Vicodin until the symptoms subsided. Constipation and mouth soreness were kept at a minimum last time. Drank lots of green tea, continued with my daily Citrucel fiber pills and stayed really hydrated. Also, used the baking soda and salt mouth wash recommended in our chemo book. Biotene also makes a mouth spray that keeps things moist. I was going to the bathroom so much I finally broke down and bought baby wipes and hemerroid cream and wipes. That lasted a just a few days. Thank goodness we get a nice two week break before the next onslaught.

Paintingmywaythru--- Do you paint with watercolors,acrylic, oils? I just started watercoloring about a year ago and am loving it. Haven't been painting much since my diagnosis but last week dragged everything out and started working again. Also, have a class in the fall with a great teacher in the area. Looking forward to getting back on track again. Hope you get through this week with few SEs.

Krista 

shinypop

Hey all. Wow, I didn't really think I was having problems sleeping. I was blaming the snuggly rabbit and the cat having a party at 2 am. Perhaps they were awake because I woke up. I don't know that I would want to take anything. I'm afraid I would sleep through my alarm. btw, still constipated. Gotta do the icky ole enema again this evening. yuck.

4honey

Just call me Honey (we are a family of four who just started beekeeping 3 summers ago & love it)

I had emend and a steroid during my 1st a/c treatment.  I don't feel like I had as many side effects as some of you.  I slept from 11-5 everyday then 8pm-6am starting the day after treatment for 4 days.  I don't know how in the world the long nap didn't interfere with my night sleep.  I was taking 5 mcg of melatonin before this, but when I was diagnosed I bumped it up to 10.  You find it in the vitamin section at Walmart & it's super cheap.  If I do wake up to use the bathroom, the melatonin makes me immediately fall back asleep. 

Ememd-ask for it in your iv instead of getting a pharmacy perscription -this MIGHT help with the cost.  My insurance( BCBS)pays for a lot as long is falls under medical (iv) since I have already met my $2000 deductible.   If I have to get it in pill form, it falls under a different decuctible and it costs more.  Everyone must check with your own insurance company.  My insurance group has been very helpful finding ways around things such as this.  So silly

Steroid-The only side effect I had was nausea.  I took compazine the first night to "stay ahead of the nausea".  Compazine made me get double vision and made the nausea worse.  The next night I took zophran.  This didn't make it worse or better.  Night 3 I decided to take nothing and my nausea didn't get worse Thank God!  The nausea was never that bad.  It lasted for 15 days though.  I felt SUPER hungry all the time and constantly ate.  Even after a big meal, 30 min later I felt like I was starving.  I asked them if they gave me something to increase my appetite b/c they were concerned I would loose weight, they said no.  I think it was the steroid that was making me hungry.

Neulasta-this will be the 1st time I get this shot 24 hrs after round 2 of a/c tomorrow morning.  Again, my ins will pay for it as long I "get written pre-authorization" first.  I'm interested to see how I feel, since this will be the only thing different.  I think this might be why a lot of you didn't feel as well as I did.  But my WBC tanked on day 11, so he wants to do it this time. 

I take a sennakot-s with my iron pill at bedtime (for prevention) and this has helped me a lot.  Then I drink my morning coffee & the magic happens!  I'll start taking another senna the morning after chemo. After my 2 surgeries (partial mas & to clear margins & put in port) I thought I needed an epidural to give birth to my poop.  I NEVER want to experience that again.

lzzy thanks for helping w/ my profile

shiny pop -congrats, what did you name it? ;-)

Kayak2

Hi khs113 - haven't they told you about taking claritin and tylenol to prevent or treat the Neulasta bone pain?  I didn't really experience "pain" with my first 2 shots, just some discomfort and the claritin + tylenol helped.  I know claritin sounds strange for this - my doctor said they don't know why it helps, but it does.

khs113

Kayak 2 When I mentioned it to my chemo nurse yesterday she hadn't heard of using Claritin. But I took it and an aleve this morning as I have the shot today at 1 PM,, Do you continue to take them for a few days after? Thanks for the info.

Krista

Kayak2

khs - I was told by by nurses that the claritin - with or without tylenol - can be taken once a day for 5 days, but since I try and avoid as much extra medication as possible, I always try to see what happens.  If I start to feel discomfort, then I treat it.  Other people prefer to stay ahead of or avoid the discomfort and take it just in case.  It depends on your philosophy.

Paintingmywaythru

misswim thanks for the comment ont he emend. I do get alosti but have had a bit of a rough go so they may give me emend the next goround.

mommaof4...so sad about your dog, pets are such ac omfort and even more so at this time I think. I love when my cat curls up in bed with me.

honey.... how are your bees ? You seem on top of all your medical things. Good for you.

khs113...I make wild watercolors of creatures cavorting through the universe in imaginary worlds...have soem work in Hoboken, NJ right now, Newport,RI, Boston, MA and jsut hung a show in Westport MA that opens today. my web is  www.susanmedyn.com

Valbee

Sitting in the chair for round 2 of TC as I type. I've already had the Taxotere and just waiting for the saline flush before starting the Cytoxan. I'm sitting next to a former co-employee (we didn't know each other before she retired, but had the same employer) who is on her first round of TC. Hoping to help her through some of the anxiety of the first round. Also hoping her SE are minimal!! As I do for all of us!

ellenquilt

mommaof4, so sorry to hear about your dog -- they truly become part of your family and it's so hard when they go.  Hugs to you.

khs113 -- I have IBS, and I've battled hemmorhoids since I had my kids (couple of decades ago) so I feel your pain, literally.  I keep Prep H at the house and the wipes in my bag.  I'm battling with diarrhea instead of constipation, but just as irritating.  Not my favorite SE.  

Interesting SE today -- extreme dry eye. Just returned from the opthalmologist because it was getting hard to see and read the street signs when I was driving.  So now I'm taking a pharamaceutical grade Omega-3 every day, some really goopy eye ointment at night before I go to sleep and some preservative-free eyedrops as needed throughout the day.  Hopefully this will help since I rely a lot on my eyes -- I work with computers and for fun I knit. Not to mention all the books I love to read and the movies I love to watch. LOL  going back for a recheck in a month or so to see if things pick up.  My eye doc said that the chemo drugs will sometimes exacerbate a dry eye condition.

On the other hand, the weather is beautiful and I feel good, so I think I'll get out and do some stuff today.

Wishing you all a good SE-free day. 

Tomorrow is Chemo #3 of my 12 weekly series.  Planning to start a new  sweater for my son and I have to learn a new app on the computer so I can teach it next week.  I'm beginning to view my chemo time as "me" time. Weird, huh? 

rabbit

mommaof4 I am so sorry about your mastiff I lost 2 german shepherds within 24 hours of each other 10 years ago and I still miss them! I had to put my male to sleep because he had a tumor wrapped around his spine that was causing him to not be able to stand up eventually, it was so hard, and then the next day I lost my female to bloat. Dogs are a part of the family, I am so sorry you have to deal with this on top of everything else. 

misswim, I think it's the steroids more than the chemo, but yes, I rarely get a good 8 hour sleep, besides the fact that the first several days I have to pee every few hours so I don't get any sleep LOL

pinkpalette I hope your SEs go away soon. About melatonin, I used to take it off and on and it's always helped, unfortunately my onco doesn't like "natural supplements" he thinks I should get all my stuff from fresh veggies and fruits, he does let me take VitD and Calcium. I am going to specifically ask about the melatonin, I had read it helps fight BC and I just googled it and sure enough found this article:

 http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20030714/hormone-melatonin-slows-breast-cancer

very interesting.  I do have a script for ativan and take it at night sometimes, it does help sleep for sure. 

shinypop have you tried miralax?  My mom swears by it. 

honey, thanks so much for all that info, some of it will be helpful to me! I agree, I do coffee every morning and it helps me with my daily duty! I try to get my green tea in too each day, but have to have my coffee when I wake up, although I now do coffe with 1/2 the caffeine.

Valbee, hoping you are doing ok and have minimal SEs this time!

ellenquilt, best of luck tomorrow, my #3 is Wed. I actually look forward to it now to get another one under the belt! I had an eye exam a few weeks ago and he told me that dry eye is very common on chemo...haven't experienced it yet, hoping I won't.

Getting ready to change my pic, love this salmon colored cap, it's my new favorite cap LOL 

Allenan

HAIR IS ALMOST ALL GONE

Hi Everyone,

I decided to take a little break here at work.  My hair is almost gone so I wore my Wig for the first time.  It looks really natural but I think it makes me look older.  Losing the hair was more traumatic for my children.  They watched and saw the hair combing out until I was practically bald.  My youngest was so funny.  She said "Mommy, if I see you like that in the bed at night, it will scare me."  After I put on my wig, everyone was fine and we went out for a family dinner.  At work people keep asking me what I did to my hair.  Are they kidding me? or trying to fish for information?  I do not know and at this point, cannot care.    I only told my 2 bosses about my dx but I know a few other people know.  I told this one co-worker who asked what I did to my hair, "Its a wig"  and that stopped her right in her tracks.  No more comments or questions.

Cannot seem to totally shake the blues but physically feeling good and preparing for #2 on Monday.

Will try to read and catch up to all the post.  Hugs and a minimal or No SE day to all.  Thanks for listening.  I am trying to shake myself back into the great mood I was in a week ago.

dexxy

mommaof4-so sorry, nothing can take your pain away. I read your note and am still crying.  My 3 french bulldogs are my kids, hey give me more joy in a minute than most people do in a lifetime.  Hang in there, and enjoy what time you have together. You and you're pup are in my thoughts.

Honey-welcome to the group, you are guaranteed, friendship, guidance, and support from all the ladies here.  We are stronger together.

allenan-I too had a moment from a customer that was being nosey and wanted to know why my shop would be closed.  (I'm closing only on treatment days) It was what are you doing? why aren't you going to be here? are you going somewhere?  I looked at her and said "yah I'm doing my 2nd chemo treatment" you should have seen the look on her face, priceless. I doubt she will be that nosey again any time soon

misswim

Melatonin! I gave it up when I started chemo but I will be grabbing it to help me sleep tonight. I am exhausted this afternoon from lack of sleep! My appetite is back with a passion. I have lost 30 pounds in the last year (15 on my own and 15 from stress of diagnosis and changing my diet radically) and was told by the nurse today to not lose any more weight but to try to stay where I am at as staying in your healthy BMI range has been proven to lower recurrance rates. She is going to send me a link to the study she referred to, I will post it as soon as I can. I am anxious to be done with chemo and get back to exercise to maintain.

Hope everyone is feeling ok today.  Thinking of all of you.

Ralsper

Misswin - My doc told me not to take Melatonin during chemo because contains antioxidant properties. She gave Ativan

misswim

That is really good to know, Ralston, thanks! I did not know that.

khs113

Hi K.ayak2 and paintingmyway thru, Thanks for the info on Claritin. I told the nurse who gave me the shot today but she had never heard of it and to let her know how it works. It took it and and an Aleve before I went. Should I continue to take them the next few days to get over the hump?

The website is beautiful. Your paintings make me smile. I love the way you use the colors and the whimsical creatures. I marked it as one of my favorites and will revisit it from time to time. Good luck with your shows.

Kayak2

khs - was told it is ok to take the claritin once a day x 5 days to try and avoid or treat the neulasta bone discomfort. 

Paintingmywaythru

khs113  

I take claritan for a 3 days...I am not sure but think it does help wiith the bone pain...it certainly doesn't do anything bad. the bone pain is a drag though so I find walknig helps to refocus me if Ihave the energy.

Thanks for the coments on the paintings. I think it is certainly helping me focus on other aspects of my life and I am thankful for that.

valbee...wow that is so interesting that you are sitting next to a coworker....the world is small.

nite all.

cheyenna

hey girls, just popping in for a little encouragement, i was on AC x 4 and taxol x12, i have been done with chemo 9 months now, November 1 2010..it is a tough road but doable, stay on your meds! Fluids, fluids, fluids! flush those toxins out of your body!!! you AC and taxol girls, when you get to Taxol, it is so much easier then AC, it does not effect your blood counts as the AC does. if your doing 12 like i did, it goes by really fast!! The T's hit your nails and bones, use a nail oil everyday to keep them moist, fingers and toes! i used Latesse on eyelashes and eyebrows everyday and did not lose them..

my advice to you is," Let the chemo do its job, dont fight it"listen to your body and rest! this is no time to be thinking of others, you need to think and take care of you!!! stay positive, stay on this thread. i was a June chemo girl 2010, i would never had made it if not for these ladies!! 128 pages of posts.. Our motto is "you dont have to be strong, you just have to show up" remember, those cells dont stand a chance!!! hehe and... You dont have cancer anymore!!

love to you all

Chey

rabbit

hi Chey

THANKS SO MUCH for stopping in to encourage us, it's sooooo appreciated.  I am on FEC and then T, and I've heard that the T is so much easier than the FEC as well. 

so glad you are doing well and done with your treatments!

xoxoxoxoxo