Is There A September 2011 Chemo Group?
Comments
-
had 6th treatment today, 2nd taxol. had 1/2 hr left, had reaction, trouble breathing,chest tight, felt like my throat was closing up, could hardly swallow sip of water. waved the nurse down, stopped taxol,put me on oxygen, called dr,gave me 50mg of benedryl, 50 mg of steroids.
after about 15min of oxygen i was like are you sure this is on, i am having trouble breathing again,she checked "oh, it must have run out" uh duhhh!
anyway, if i had finished treatment i would have been out of there at 3 instead they kept me til 4. after i had the meds and started to feel better , she didn't believe me and she was right ,i just wanted to leave. the nurse said i'm not removing the port til you leave, i said why you think i would skip out on you, she said no. i said well i would i want to leave, i need a cigarette!! anyway she let me go after the swelling went down in my throat about 20 mins later.
the nurse said the dr talked about switching me to taxotrate (sp)? i was like can't she just give me more benedryl in premeds,she said no the next time i might have a worse reaction.hhhmmm guess i'll find out when i see dr on 15th. anybody else have this happen and been switched from taxol to taxotrate, which one is more effective on triple neg bc, or are they the same?
-
kimberly and the rest with leg swelling/edema ,i've read that is one of the lovely(NOT) se of taxol and taxotrate. some ask their drs for lasix or diaretics to relieve it. the water weight accounts for some of the weight gain, some pts have 15lbs of water weight gain!!!!
-
wow belle, that must've been so scary. you sound so calm about it in sharing it with us. i would've freaked out. i was told the taxane choice for me would've been taxol or taxotere. not sure if that is what they meant with the taxotrate or if it is a 3rd option that wasn't mentioned to me. taxotere was chosen for me for a couple reasons, but i was also told by a couple chemo nurses that it is sometimes chosen because it is less likely to produce allergic reactions. hope at least your side effects are minimal, especially since you went through so much with the infusion.
-
Saw your message Belle about Taxotere versus Taxol for triple negative, but don't have the answers. Didn't have the oxygen on after reaction? Arrrrgggh.
-
Kimberly, my twitches were still present this past weekend, 5 wks pfc, but have (fingers crossed) now gone! None since Saturday!
-
Oh Belle...your nightmare continues. Sorry you being attacked from every angle.
Looked in mirror and it is definite.... my hair on my head is growing. It is very white looking and some are over 1/2 long from what remained on my head after the great fallout. This makes me hopeful for hair in April when I go on my postponed anniversary trip!! WOOT WOOT!
Maggie
-
ugh Belle, hopefully they will get things squared away for you next time. I am trip neg too and they gave me Taxotere, so that could be what they are considering for you.
Yay Mags!!! Hair!!! I think you are our first September chemo gal with hair? Congratulations:)
-
About hair......I am confused, i kind of had some survivor hair thru out the whole thing, but now it seems like there is more of that. But I've been told to look for little black/brown dots that show the new hair coming in and I haven't seen any of that yet. Husband and kids say they think it is growing but I don't know. On a positive note, eyelashes are thicker for sure!
Also, went to my regular family dr yesterday for a follow up and she really put my mind at ease about my recent hospital stay. Also, she put me on another round of steroids bc I was still breaking out in little rashes and she felt they weaned me off too quickly in the hospital. So after 2 days I feel amazing, steroids are amazing, except I will probably gain weight from them, since I can NOT seem to stop eating....ughhhhhhh
Belle....glad ur feeling better buI'm curious to see what your onc says about your plan moving forward bc, even though my bad reaction was after my last chemo, what happens if I ever (HOPE NOT) need chemo again in my life? I guess a question for my onc next week. -
Kelliregi - Yes, I am having a bit of Christmas anxiety. I am on a 2-week break before I start AC and I am trying to get everything done in case I don't feel well after my infusion next week. I think the unknown of the AC is contributing my anxiety level.
CJRT - glad to hear that thing are still going well after your surgery.
Cooka - got a kick out of your Christmas carol!
Kimberly, Cooka and all those with eye twitches - I had them too but they seemed to be related to lack of sleep. When I finally started getting more than a few hours of sleep per night, they went away. The watering continues which is frustrating but the twitching was maddening.
Belle - How scary for you! I'm glad they have an alternative for you so you don't have to go through that again.
Maggie - Hooray for hair regrowth! I kind of laughed when they said to look for little brown dots starting to grow back. I think I will be looking for little gray dots which will be harder to see.
Hugs to everyone!
-
Okay, I need a bit of a pep talk. I am a bit behind the curve for this chemo stuff because I had my 12 weeks of Taxol first instead of AC first like most people. I feel like I am back to day one when I was terrified to start chemo because the AC sounds so much worse than the taxol. I also have to do a Neulasta shot the day after my chemo and I am worried about the SEs. I have my Claritin ready. I handled the taxol relatively well and thought I was one of the lucky ones whose SEs were relatively mild but now I am realizing that it might have been because taxol just isn't as "rough" as AC.
So, any words of advice would be appreciated.
-
pinkshirt, take your nausea meds as scheduled even if you have no nausea. eat light,soups,jello, unsweetened applesauce in cups. stay away from fried foods, spicy foods! the first week is the roughest, on day 7 i felt lot better and could eat better but stomach still couldn't handle fried foods or spicy foods as i found out to my detriment. i have always had a sensitive stomach to meds, you may not have a rough time with a/c. plus drink lots of fluids and eat small amounts at a time if i ate a regular size meal i got sick. i would eat chicken noodle soup made with milk and ritz crackers, couple hrs later eat applesauctce etc. nausea was worse if belly was empty. hope this helps.
-
pinkshirt, i only had a reaction to my 1st neulesta shot, 9 days later had severe bone pain for about 24 hrs tylenol#3 took care of it. didn't have any more bone pain til i started taxol and it's a lot worse day 2 thru day 12.
-
pinkshirt- I know the other women on your regimen will be better able to offer advice, but in terms of a pep talk- my best friend is going through DD AC right now and has been having very minimal side effects. Hopefully you will respond like her. I know I am already getting anxious about returning to chemo and that isn't happening for me for about 3 weeks. As for the Neulasta, I didn't have any pain the first time but started taking tylenol right away. I know some of the women have discussed Clarintin too, but I never tried it because I didn't get much pain. Many swear by this approach though, so you might want to look back because I am pretty sure someone gave specifics on the board. I was more uncomfortable the 2nd time but because my counts were so high (47), they ended up cutting the 3rd dose in half, so I didn't have any pain with my 3rd time. Some oncologists give pain meds to have on hand, just in case (my friend was given a Vicodin Rx). If being proactive doesn't do the trick the first time, discuss with your oncologist the possibility of adjusting your dosage based on your response. I keep telling myself that starting back up means one step closer to being finished. Try to enjoy the break!
-
PinkShirt , I don't know about the AC but the Neulasta may very well sideline you for at least a few days each cycle. If you don't have any extra pain meds lying around, you might want to ask MO for some just in case it's needed.
Saw GP today who gave Lasix for fluid retention and beta blocker for fast heart rate. Normally I would think, yuck, more pills but I am so hoping something helps with the leg swelling.
-
Have any of you had a feeling like a bee is stinging you on your face (cheek)? Is that neuropathy? It is under my twitching eye and it comes out of nowhere and is pretty much freaking me out:(
-
PinkShirtNow, I was scared of the whole Neulasta SE thing, but it turned out I had minimal SEs from it. I believe on tx #2 I felt some strange stingy shocks that I associated with bone pain. There were only a few and then never again. I did Claritin the day before and the day after each shot. Either way, it was uneventful.
As for eyes... count me in. Twitchy eyes have been with me from the beginning. I've also noticed some watering in my eyes and I am 17 days PFC so I'm hoping my eye activity settles down soon. After this last treatment the eyes have been the worst.
-
pinkshirt---i did taxol first and am now doing AC. I too tolerated the Taxol well and am doing the same with The AC...slight twinges of nausea but meds took it away so no worries there. I get the Neulasta now for the last 6 tx and 2 left. 2nd one was my worst but think it was because I also got the period from hell too that weekend. Now I do not even take the claritin or tylenol and nothing. I would take an epsom salts bath morning and night to help with the pain. Love my tub--its a refuge! I think if you took on 12 weeks of Taxol with little SE's you should do the same with AC--I will be thinking of you as I know the unknown is the worst part.
khegidio--leeann and others that are mia--we miss you hope you are doing well
Maggie
-
Thanks, you guys. You are making me feel better. My husband keeps telling me that we'll deal with whatever comes but I am a worrier. I hate that I am wasting time during my "good" week worrying about the possibility of upcoming bad weeks. You have no idea how much I appreciate all your support.
-
Pinkshirt, we all love you. Hydrate hydrate hydrate. Taxanes are not fun, but you made it through A, you can do anything!
Kimberly,how bad was the fluid retention? I am 5.5 wks pfc and and my ankles are still medium swollen by evening. Any suggestion? Think its time to call the doc? It gets a little bitty better each day, but is still there. Eye twitches gone, but fingernails continue to recede. Bummer.
Hugs!
-
Morning ladies,
Shelley, that's not my leg in the picture, but the coloration and pitting on the shin was pretty much the same. My ankles and feet were worse. The muscles became painful with that much water. I was in the pharmacy picking up the new prescriptions when I spotted a woman with a 4-wheeled walker that has a seat for when you want or need to stop and sit. The SUV of walkers I guess. It was looking GOOOOD to me. I'm at the point that I could definitely use one of those. Only my pride keeps me from getting one. That's a good one. I am bald and boobless and way overweight, but I am going to worry how it is going to look if I used a walker? Well now that I look at a picture online - I am thinking what if I sat down in it and the left the collies pull me when I'm tired? Put my santa suit on, put a few antlers on the dogs. Gosh I am lazy. Always looking for the easy way out.
Pinkshirt, I agree with your argument with yourself!!! Don't waste too much of your good week worrying. You will find a way to deal with anything that comes up, if it does.
CJ and Shelley, thanks for letting me know the eye twitching subsided.
-
Cooka:Love your Christmas carol and sorry the hair you don't want to come back is coming back. My hair is not coming back in any way yet - except for a few and far between blonde very fine hairs on my head. If I let them grow out I could look like The Donald and sport a very nice combover. Now that would be a look.
SCPMadi: Good luck with # 5 tomorrow. Hope it goes well.
Belleast:That reaction sounds scary but sounds very typical for those that do have reactoins. I was worried about that myself...it never happened to me but I did read many many storeis of it happening to other ladies. I am not sure about the medications. I have TAC (taxotere, Adriamycin, and Cytoxin). Is taxotrate the same as taxotere?
Maggie: That's so great about your hair. I cannot wait until I get to that point. I wonder what everyone's will come back in like. Thanks for asking about me. I have just been busy with Christmas shopping, etc.
Pinkshirt:I am having TAC - all three together and I have considered my SEs mild. Make sure to take your nausea meds the first few days after. Also - make sure to ask the nurse for ice chips or a Popsicle when she administers the "A". It will prevent mouth sores. I have never had one after 4 treatments with adriamycin. Stay away from spicy foods. I tried it a few times in an effort to taste something and i paid for it with upset stomach and diarrhea. Take claritin the day of neulasta and 4 days after. It eliminates the bone pain. Alleve took care of anything else.
I haven't had any eye twitching but I do have eye watering for sure. Very frustrating especially when you add it to the random dripping from the nose because there is no nose hair to catch it.
I am also trying to hang on to my eyebrows and lashes. I am praying for it because I really feel like I'll look like a freak without my brows. They are thinning for sure - which I can deal with because I can fill them in. I just don't want them to all fall out.
I have treatment # 5 of 6 next Wednesday. I can't wait to say I'll only have one left. So close to being done. I have finished my Christmas shopping so all I need to do is wrap. Glad Christmas will fall 2 weeks after my treatment. I was feeling like doo doo on Thanksgiving so at least I have Christmas. Can't wait to celebrate with my 17 month old. He's still to young to understand but much closer than last year!! Next year will be optimal but this year we should at least get some good tearing of the paper. He is really at an exhausting but very fun age.
Have a great day ladies....
Kate
-
thanks for checking in Kelly..we missed you!
My neice (18yrs old) found a lump and went to docs yesterday. Doc says prob a cyst but sending her for a mammo and US today. UGH!!! she is was too young for this crap. Keeping her in my prayers and hoping it is nothing.
Maggie
-
Hi Ladies,
CJRT... so glad your home and recovering.
Belle...the allergic reaction is such a bummer. Glad your okay. They can be extremely serious. Its my understanding that both Taxol and taxotere are similar in terms of effectiveness. I saw a study comparing the two. It was in node pos women though. It showed the taxol slightly more effective but it wasn't statistically significant, and the taxotere had fewer neuropathy. Its very common to switch to taxotere if there is an allergic reaction to taxol or to start with taxotere if worried about a particular side effect. It sounds like taxotere has less neuropathy and allergic reactions, but more finger nail issues. But you can have any of those side effects on either, so it just depends. I think Oncs just develop a comfort for one or the other in terms of which they start first. It could even be a regional/geographical preference.
Hair... so happy for you Maggie. I was wondering if any of you post chemo gals are seeing hair yet. I cannot wait. It seems like that day will never come.
Pinkshirt..You never know for sure, but I think you will do great on AC given how well the weekly taxol went for you. My AC round went well. No problem with the neulasta shot. I did take claritin each time. Not sure if it made a difference but figured why not. I am 4 rounds into my weekly taxol and preferred the AC rounds to this. I am doing fine on it, but my eyes are driving me crazy on the taxol. They are constantly watering and itching. With the AC, I had a day or two of fatigue and it ended. Now I'm looking at weeks/months of eye issues. Plus, I enjoyed the week off of treatment. I'm sick of going up there weekly. My eyes are watering and my eyebrows are starting to thin. I am rubbing my eyes so much that I'm sure I am causing eyelash loss. I find the weekly taxol kind of depressing. Just think..you have 4 more treatments and done! You can do it.
Xmas anxiety...I am right there with you. I am feeling unorganized. Hopefully I will be in better shape after next week.
-
kate, it is the same i mispelled it, it is texotere. good to see you.
well, they say steroids make you eat i believe it. the 50mg they gave me tues to counteract the reaction must of hit me yesterday evening. because i about ate myself out of house and home last nite uuuugggghhh!
ccjj, thanks for the info,glad to hear from you.
raebob, if you are checking in just wanted you to know you are in my prayers, hope you are doing as well as can be expected. ((((((HUGS)))))))
-
My nurse is a jerk. Just felt like saying it. I have called my onc re:SE's a total of 3 times this whole tx regimen, all during business hours, yet every time I do, she makes me feel like a neurotic hypochondriac, when she finally calls back the following day- if at all. I have freakin' cancer and I'm having chemo for crap's sake, give me a freakin' break. I have been hearing my pulse in my ear and it is getting louder, and I have this weird nerve pain in my cheek that feels like an occasional electric shock, so I was checking to see if I should be doing something (like maybe something in my neck is obstructed, the port whatever). She calls me back, with a referral for an opthamalogist. WTF? Turns out she didn't listen to my message and thought I was calling about my eye (this would have been my SECOND eye call, stop the presses.)..glad I called though because she told me i can get my blood pressure checked at Walgreens...so much for the listen to your body and if you have any symptoms, let us know. Really looking forward to my follow-up care. Grrrrrr. Thanks for letting me rant:(
-
Maggie: sorry for your niece. Hopefully her diagnostic tests come back ok. That is very young.
belleast: tell me about it. Steroids are my worst nightmare. I know I need them but I hate them.
Cooka: sorry your nurse stinks. I would be upset about that response too. After going through all of this you really want your nurse and doctor to be in tune with you and support you. -
maggie, i hope your niece gets good news.
cooka, i hear you,i have the same problem with my mo's nurse ( who is a guy) very frustrating. last time i saw my mo i told her the phone system stinks. my scripts never get fax,calls returned etc.
kate, i hate the steroids,too. i have to take them day before,day of, day after. thank god only 4mg twice a day, otherwise no telling what i would weigh!!!!
-
cooka- your nurse does stink. i have a similar problem with mine too. you think someone choosing the field of oncology would have a bit of empathy and understanding the stressors and challenges we face.
random question about tissue expanders- anyone know about how long each fill takes? I know it would depend someone on how many cc's are going in but just trying to get a rough idea.
-
Cooka, I have the exact same problem. When I call it rings the chemo nurses station. There is one nurse there who is horrible at infusions and she mostly answers the phone. I am not a complainer, but she always said the se would just go away. When I called about my nails, she said, "No worries, they grow back in about a year." Nice empathy. When I called about the diarrhea from the cytoxen she told me, "You're a smart lady, just eat a bland diet." A day later I was in getting fluids, close to being admitted. The rest of the nurses are great.
Kimberly, I asked my husband for one of those chair walkers for Christmas! Just thought it would make my life so much easier! LOL. Your legs were WAY worse than mine, although my ankles are still swelling. I used to have aches in all leg muscles, now its just the calf muscles so I'm thinking it must be getting better. 6 weeks pfc today and lost more eyelashes yesterday and will lose at least 3 nails per hand. Wish I'd known that se's would continue this far along...sigh...
Hugs!
-
fibroadenoma...that is what they told my neice WOOT WOOT!! So happy. do not think my family could take any more grenades.
COOKA--People like your nurse should not work in the medical field. It requires compassion which she obviously lacks
Maggie
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team