October 2011 Chemo group

WIMusicMaker

Hi,

I just came back from my LAST chemo!!!! Yipee!!! Now I will wait for the side effects to begin and hoping I can breeze through this one.

I have a mammogram scheduled for next week for the beginning of radiation and will be on the table planning it on Thursday 1/5 . I signed up for a clinical trial and will either get 3 weeks of radiation at a higher dose or the typical 6 1/2 weeks. 

I had a wonderful time seeing my family over the holidays. It is always a little adjustment when the kids come home from college. They have such different schedules of sleeping and waking than I do.

Lucie-I am so happy for you!

Fred- I am on AC and I have eye tremors only on my right eyelid. It drives me crazy sometimes! I agree that it gets worse when I am tired.

St. Jude I am in WI and we still don't have any snow on the ground!

Sherry I don't blame you for dreading chemo! Now you know what it takes to get through it but you only have two more and soon you will be done! 

I hope everyone is doing well.  

Mary 

fredntan

I've not driven myself either. But I know other people do.that benadryl gets me so sleepy.

Carla9112

Hi everyone - just checking in after the holidays.  It went pretty good but I'm glad it's over.  I just couldn't get in the spirit this year. 

Mary - congrats on finishing chemo!!  WooHoo!!  I just can't wait until my treatments are over.  I'm on the same schedule as Mary and dread No. 7 almost more than the others.  I guess the longer this goes on the harder it gets.

Malinda - I was so sorry to read that you had been in the hospital.  We were worried about you when you hadn't posted in a while.  I sure hope that you are feeling a lot better.   

I can't believe the eye tremors.  I had them like crazy last week and wondered if it related to chemo. Speaking of SE's does anyone else have ankles that look like watermelons?  I am swelling so bad these days.  Even my water pills - which I was on before chemo - aren't helping much. 

Hope everyone has a good night!

Carla

Carla9112

Oops should have said I'm on the same schedule as Sherry.  Chemo brain!!

Lady-di

Hi everyone. I hope everyone was able to enjoy at least part of their Christmas. I think ive gained 5 pounds this past week. I'm going in today for my 2nd taxol tx and will be starting herception today also.

Tappy,, onc told me no driving on taxol after the tx bc of the benadryl.

Lucie.. Very happy for you.

Mary.. It must feel great to be finished and I hope you do breeze through the SE this time.

Carla.. I've been lucky and have had no water retention but I remember reading to try to sit with feet up to help with it.



We got our first snowfall that stayed on the ground last night. Not too much, maybe just a couple cm.

fredntan

Going for my third taxol today.



Does anyones breast still hurt? I've got that TE in my rt one. Almost have my full range of motion. But I do my exercises daily. I know I probably need to do them more. Its not very painful. Just well feels like there is rock in there. Which is true.



I am so glad these holiday s are over



I got myself so scared last night reading about rads. Im dreading it.

fredntan

I locked up my drugs today. I had my ativan refilled on dec 15. I had to go back to pharmacy causethey miscounted. I didn't recount but it seemed right. Today I counted them and there is no way I used all that many. Talked to both my girls. Im sure they aren't lying. One did have friend over

Im not positive what happened. I don't want to accuse this kid when pharmacy could have miscounted again.

TAPPY

I hide my "good drugs" at home.  I have a teenager - who I trust.  But she does have friends over.   I have counted my drugs before when I thought they short changed me.  Hey it happens.

I am wondering if Ativan would help me sleep better - Xanax isnt doing the job...I need to sleep.

I may ask my onc to switch me over or ask his about his thoughts...

Well I am going to drive myself on Thursday....if I cant drive back my SIL will come and get me - she had foot surgery but can drive.

If any of you are the praying kind please keep my hubby in your prayers - He went to Hungary and is now going to Iraq (for work) - this is making me a nervous wreck. 

barbyjean

Hi, everyone. So good to catch up on the posts. What with my fatigue and the holidays I'm not checking in very often, then realize how much I've missed all of you!!

Just had TC #5 yesterday, and my onc says I am doing very well compared to most ladies. I have a ton of SE's: runny eyes and nose, funny painful fingernails, tight sore muscles in arms and legs, crazy hot flashes with dripping head, now my ankles are swollen. The ankles and toe numbness are the only ones that can last after chemo, so I have a new pair of compression knee highs and have to stay off my feet when I can (doctor's orders, stay on the couch!) One more tx in three weeks, they do get harder to go each time. I'll be so glad when they are done. I have 3 weeks of rads after that, but I've heard that it's nothing compared to chemo. After my last dose of steroids tonite, I will probable crash for the next 5 days. That's the worst part for me.

My daughter is home this week from NYC, and today she went and had 10" of her hair cut off for Pantene program for cancer patients in my name. I'm so proud of her and she looks so cute with a very short sassy do!! She is 29 and a teacher, and is going to have a program of awareness with her 7,8 and 9th grade students and encourage her girls to donate hair. Living so far away from mom, she feels not so helpless by doing this, I think. 

Malinda, you inspire me. Your posts are so positive even though your hell sounds much worse than mine. Thanks!

For everybody who feels forgotten by their friends, I don't think they don't care. Before I had cancer, I had NO IDEA what it was like going through treatment. My best support people are the ones who have had cancer. And even though it's so hard to ask for help, I have learned to do it and most people are glad to know what to do for me. And it also helps to keep my expectations for myself at a reasonable, very low level, and be easy on myself if I still can't do as much as I want to. And I have a feeling that I might not feel like doing much of anything for a long time after chemo and rads are done. More practice with patience.

This is a hell of a long journey, and I don't really see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I'm sure glad to have all you ladies to light the way with me!

I'll be ringing in the new year in my recliner or asleep in bed. and looking forward to 2012 with all you great ladies.

Barb 

barbyjean

P.S. I ask for prayers from everyone, however they choose to pray. I have non-traditional beliefs compared to most of my friends, but any connection to a greater power is welcome to me. I include all you dear friends in my wishes and prayers for health and strength.

Barb 

fredntan

Happy I think I'm in xanax.im such a dope. But I can count.had long talk with older dd. Her friend isntallowed over. I had gotten really close to this kid.there's no way to prove it.he'll neighbor kids could have come in when we were gone. We've left front door unlocked couple of times. I usually take 1 mg xannax. Then addmy ambient if I wake up

My sister takes trazadone. Wish I could switch to that. She has extremely hard time waking up

I feel upset someone took my drugs.told my husband about it after chemotherapy





Has anyone tried that relaxation cd by bells Ruth?

Pippen

Had my 5th Taxotere & Cytoxan treatment today. Have one more in January, then on to the radiation schedule. A couple of new SE popped up this last week. One was my feet started itching suddenly, fortunately that lasted for a little over a half hour and then calmed down. My doctor said to use Benadryl if it happens again. Then the next evening my hands started itching... same thing. Another thing started, but has calmed down since I started my dexamethasone - I started having what felt like a bladder infection with the urge to urinate at the end of the stream, very uncomfortable. There was no urinary tract infection, so probably bladder irritation is the reason - again a SE from Cytoxan.

 I take Ativan at night, cause it helps me sleep, especially the days on the cortisone, but also helps with nausea. Then I taper off taking it every other night until I can just sleep. I slept a lot last week. Tired, so tired... But able to walk a mile today without having to stop to rest. So it passes. 

Thanks for all your input here, I enjoy reading it and seeing how everyone is doing. Have a happy New Year. 

TAPPY

Mine 2nd Taxol treamtnt  took from 8:30 - 2 today.  Made for a long day.    Gave me extra steriods and nas meds cause I was nas today.  Never happened before - Glad I packed a turkey snadwich and other lunch items  (I hate the crackers and juice they offer, just have gotten sick of them)

Glad to know about they eyesight...they have been so dry to...but it is the weather here as well...

I drove and went myself and it went just fine, but I live close by.

cfdr

Pippen, my onc told me to drink LOTS of fluids, especially the first couple of days after tx, in order to avoid bladder problems. She said the issue is not the volume of fluids, but to empty the bladder frequently so that the cytoxan wasn't sitting around in there. She even said to drink a big glass of water before bed, enough that I'd have to get up 2-3 times during the night to empty my bladder.

Carla9112

Hi everyone - I had my fifth treatment today - TAC - one more to go!!!  WooHoo - can't wait.  I'm getting ready for the crash from the steroids.  When it happened last treatment I slept for two days straight.  I sure hope the SE's aren't as bad this time.  Just knowing that there is only one left will help me get through this stuff though.  Then it's on to radiation. 

I made the mistake of getting on a radiation thread last night with some folks that have really had bad experiences.  I just keep telling myself that everyone is different.  At the end of the day I have to do it if I want to kick the cancer's butt once and for all. 

I hope everyone has a good night. It's hard to believe that it's almost New Year's Eve.  2012 just has to be better!

fredntan

I know Carla I did the same. You know I was thinking. If someone was doing well in radiation I wonder if they would be less likely to post about it. You kow it might jink them. that thread really got me worked up. what kind of lotion are you going to use?

WIMusicMaker

Hi Everyone

I am hanging in there after my last A/C on Tuesday. I now know why they made me take prilosec the entire time! I am expecting a crash today.

I have more appointments for next week for the start of radiation sometime in mid-January. There is a lot of scarey stuff written on here about rads. I have tamoxifen following rads and even more horrible discussions about that. I am going to put my head down and take it one day at a time and get through this the best way I can. I want to do everything I can to kick cancer's butt!

I started to fill out the household 2012 calendar. I was adding a lot of dates of mine that were not doctors appointments and it felt good. Little by little I am going to get my life back and try to make it an even better life than is was before. 

I wish all of you a wonderful New Year! I hope and pray 2012 will be a better year for all of us. Thank you so much for being here to help me on this journey.

Mary 

cfdr

I went through rad already, and for the most part it was a breeze. I used two lotions: aquaphor before bed or if I wasn't going out; lubriderm if I was wearing something that I didn't want to get stained (lubriderm absorbs into the skin; aquaphor is more like a gel and sits on top of the skin). i did have some problems near the end, but I think that's because I was using my arm too much...I definitely recommend not packing up an entire house the week after rads!

TAPPY

Sometimes you just have to take a break from reading about all the bad stuff...I know I have had to do that a few times or it just brings you down and makes you worry more.

 I crashed today - bone pain...but at least I was prepared for it.   I  only have two more Taxol treatments  to go...so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 - How soon do they put you on Tamoxofin ?   I dont even want to think about all the side effects for that yet....

WIMusicMaker

Tappy   My onc in not going to put me on Tamoxifen until I am done with rads. He said one thing at a time.

cfdr

I had my final chemo followup yesterday...filled my prescription for femara today. Spent the morning taking down the Christmas decorations, and the afternoon lying exhausted on the sofa from the effort. Grrr! So ready to have the fatigue behind me. It sneaks up when I least expect it.

 I am sure many of you will join me in saying GOOD RIDDANCE to 2011. May your 2012 be filled with increasingly good health, high energy and unremarkable mammograms!

Carla9112

Thanks for the encouraging words about the next phase - radiation.  I am pretty dark skinned so I hope that I won't burn like some of these folks did.  My oncologist nurse told me yesterday, however, that if I start burning that I should just let the radiation team know that I need a couple of days to recover and then start with the remaining treatments.  She said I have every right to ask them to do this.  So, I'll keep that in mind. 

Hope everyone has a good evening.  Here's to a 2012 that brings health, happiness and an end to this cancer journey for all of us!!

fredntan

I just reached out to one of my friends. I feel so scared,and sad.I cry every day.last year just sucked so bad, I know im depressed. I started taking celebrex a few weeks ago. It hasn't helped that im not working.I miss work so bad. My friends coming to take me for walk. I feel like a dog. 2012 has got to be better.

fredntan

I'm sorry for going off the edge. I talked to my sister and a good friend. feel so much better now. I'm going to start talking to a therapist.

wildrumara

Hi everyone - Fredntan - I know how hard it is.  I am a raging lunatic right now with my husband....(trying to keep it from the kids).  So tired of feeling like this. Once we get back into some normalcy (Christmas done and over with) hopefully I will feel better.  Taking down decorations right now.....hate this processs.  I am such a "negative Nelly" right now......want the kids back in school, and some peace and quiet and be able to do "one thing at a time".....not try to do be doing 10 things at a time.....my brain can't process this!!!

Carla9112

Hi there - I agree with Wildrumara - this time of year is depressing to me without adding the cancer "stuff".  I'm trying to get motivated to take down the Christmas stuff today but I had a treatment on Friday and still not feeling great. 

Fran - I'm glad you're feeling better.  Talking to people that care about you really does help. 

We just have to hang in there - 2012 just has to be better!!

Have a good day!

WIMusicMaker

Hi 

I totally understand when people talk about the metal taste in their mouth from chemo. Yuck! This side effect can go away any time now. 

The after holiday blues happens to me every year. The pretty lights are slowly getting turned off around the neighborhood, the trees are coming down, and all the family gatherings are over. After all we have been through the past several months, I think it is okay to feel blue right now. Keep reaching out to family and friends, try to exercise, and do something good for yourself that you want to do every day.

I am thinking about planning for a nice make-up/facial/eyebrow shaping face thingy sometime in February(if I have any eyebrows left by then). I have never done anything like that except for the Look Good class. I haven't looked up close on my face lately and wouldn't you know when I did, I had a long dark hair growning out of my chin!!! Didn't anyone want to tell me about this?!?!? Why would that hair decide to grow when all the others are falling out? Someone has a cruel sense of humor!

Hang in there ladies. We can make it!

Mary 

Lady-di

Happy new year everyone!!! this years gotta end better then 2011.



Spent new years weekend sleeping. Think I slept 18 hours on sat and sun both. Been pretty miserable myself and having my own pity party. Also really annoyed with dh but that's another story. Anyways I think I'm starting to feel much better today and my frame of mind is also improving. I'm noticing a pattern with me as to when I start to feel really down during my bad days.

I also think I now have neoropathy sp? In my feet and finger tips. I think it went away after first taxol tx but still have it today and it's day 7 after tx 2. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens now.



Mary.. Thanks for the laugh, I also had to pluck out a long chin hair a month ago and thankfully it hasn't grown back.

Diane

Carla9112

Hi there - I sure wish the chemo had gotten rid of facial hair too.  No such luck. Isn't it crazy to have more hair on your face than on your head!!??   

I've been so sad today - now that I think about it this starts to hit on Day 4 or 5 after a treatment.  I just want to cry all day.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  Even my "happy" pills don't seem to help. 

Diane - I started to get the neuropathy really bad after third treatment (I take mine all together - TAC).  Even my tongue was going numb.  I told my oncologist about it and he cut back on my treatment just a tad.  It sure helped - I haven't had the numbness since then.  I was scared to cut back but he had me on the strongest dose since I'm triple negative.  He told me that if he thought it would hurt me he wouldn't do it.  I just didn't want to have permanent damage. It's worth having the conversation with your doctor.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.  Hope you all have a good night.

fredntan

I'm in much better mood today mentally. I think I just needed to talk to someone besides my DH. felt so alone.

Things have been going well...have the good luck..DH fixed that pickup truck that had been sitting out in yard for over year. The ford place diagnosed it before we parked it. said it probably needed new heads and would cost 4k and that it may not work. It needed new battery. works fine now.

So I made sure it had registration and proof of insurance/and that it was insured. told DH that yest. put it right near drivers seat. guess who got ticket for 160. he said he scoured car for proof of insurance and registration. he had thrown it in back. But good news it passed inspection!

and my Brother in law got on the list for a new liver! we've been waiting for insurance approval. so we're racing to the finish line.