Chemo May 2013

okiecountrygal

Kate, my appointment is at 10 central time. I do not think it's the steroids as I hadn't taken any since last treatment until yesterday. I wouldn't think they would hang in system nearly three weeks. Guess I'll see what the Dr says. It's always something!.lol I hope you handle your treatment change much better.



Have a good day everyone!

Pattysmiles

Lisa,

Can you call and change your chemo day this week to Friday? Just a thought...mine was on Mondays but they had to move me when Memorial Day came....maybe they can move you to Monday? Can't hurt to ask!



Sorry you are missing out on these great events. I agree with GoWithTheFlow, start looking at SOMETHING to book when this is all done....a weekend away or something bigger. Make it a celebration of life. A girl can dream can't she!



i just booked Florida for the family at the end of August. I SWORE I would never do that time of year there again (last time in August was 15 years ago....). I kept looking for a trip for my family and cruises are sort of out of the budget (family of 5...kids are 10,12,14), and I kept searching and couldn't pass up this deal. This trip is far enough from the last scheduled chemo that I have room for "problems with chemo,"in case they need to change my date due to whatever" and to give myself some recovery time. It has given me something positive to focus on.



Sending hugs to you.

Pat

MichelleRN78

I am taking 20mg of prilosec daily,I will start with that and if it dosen't get better in a couple days I will start taking 40mg.

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Yay.... Finally an apt without pain or pending misery.... Got my weekly dressing change for my picc... Poor nurse... I didn't feel a thing and was looking away, so I asked if she cleaned it properly because I didn't feel any stinging... Haha (they cant win)

Barely made into work today... But had to. The owner is out of town starting tomorrow and I'm acting as chief while he's gone... Up at 5? Not looking forwar to it, but I have permission to lock our office door and take a snooze on the leather sofa if needed! Still feeling pretty crappy & could barely stand the chest/back pain from my throat... Relief kicked in this afternoon. Started prilosec today (thanks Michelle for the Costco tip) fingers crossed.



My middle daughter (shower this weekend is for her second girl due in Aug) was cleaning my house when I got home... Not "pick up" cleaning.... Scrubbing

toilets/mopping floors!

When I started talking about hiring a cleaning lady, she offered... She could use the money and she already knows how I like things done.. Win/win...



Ahhh... Think maybe I'll take a nap before the hubby gets home and wants dinner.. I sure hope things ease up soon......



Pat, I'm so excited for u.... A vacation when it's all over..... What a great thing to look forward to..!

Pattysmiles

Lorrie,

Yeah for Prilosec...hope it continues to work for you. Good luck with the job. Lock that door if needed!

How great that you are helping your daughter as she helps you. Bonus that she knows how you like it cleaned!



Feel good!

Pat

ReddHeddMomma

Huge (gentle) hugs to everyone here. Just caught up with three days worth of reading - I am so woefully behind because my sloth-ness has only gotten worse.



I have had a mystery cough and snot fit the last few days, and all I have been doing is napping and trying to breathe. Ugh. Have noticed that all my SE's fit into the gut and nose/throat categories - it is wearing me out.



So sorry so many folks are having even worse crapola to wade through this week. Wish we could all get together somewhere and drown our sorrows in some sort of lemon-flavored beverage of choice. But I fear I would just fall asleep in my glass at this point. LOL. Hope everyone has a much better rest of the week.

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Uh oh... Now comes some of my paranoia...



I have 2 little (big) backyard hens in a cute coop I built all myself last summer.... They give me eggs every day... Lucy & Ethel I call them.... My sweetie calls them 'next years bbq' haha, never!



I was giving their box fresh hay and collecting eggs when I saw blood running across my left hand... Turned out to be a small scratch & I cleaned it, stopped the bleeding and put neo & a bandage on it... But I just remember my surgeon, rad Onc & chemo Onc stressing about not gardening without gloves etc. .... I'm so dumb! I blame it on the chemo brain! I'm sure it will be fine but now I'm gonna be paranoid about how my arm is feeling.... What's that twinge.... Is that normal.... Etc... Oh brother!

GoWithTheFlow

I found a tick on my leg this morning.  The damn tick bite left a bruise like 2 inches long.  I think as long as you clean your scratch well and put bacitracin on it, you should be fine.

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Ssoooo a little hesitant to post this.....but a while back, I mentioned my sweetie's offer of help, & I was..... "naah... I'm fine! I can do this!... I don't need THAT!



Well, 3 treatments & each one worse..... I took leftover oxyfrom surgery..... Still felt like my legs were broken when I try to stand....



So... I said to my sweetie.... "ok"



I'm telling you!!!! It doesn't take 100%, but takes such an edge off that you stop crying from pain!..... You stop snapping at the person trying to be helpful AND.... I'm able to say, I'm ready for bed!

Ukkate

I had considered taking an oxy when my SE were so bad and I just needed releif.  Nothing to be shamed about there...

I'm day 1 of my new Taxol/Hercepten regime and feeling much better than my old TCH.....I am actually headed in to work today wearing my freebie Raquel Welch wig I got from the cancer center.  I hope this holds up....My onco said that I shouldn't feel so nauseas etc, the new SE are bone and joint pain and neuropathy...I can't handle that.....

GoWithTheFlow

Itis, you've got to do what you've got to do to work through the side effects.  Glad you got some relief.

MichelleRN78

Before I started chemo I went to a chemo class.  It was one on one and the lady went over lots of things that the MO didn't.  One thing she said that really stuck out is "you don't get any points for leaving the pills in the bottle".  This has given me "freedom" in my mind to take what I need, when I need it.  I take oxycodone for pain especially after getting my TE's filled.  I also take ativan for sleep.  You gotta do what you gotta do.

Alibeths

GROSS ?--

Did anyone lose their pubs before the hair on the head?? Mine are falling out- but not on my head!!!!!!!!    On DAY 14. 

Teresa_G

At my chemo class they told us that we wouldn't be needing any braxilian waxes during treatments.  The hair on my head went first, however I do still have some hair in both places.  It sure is nice not having to shave my legs anymore and they feel silky smooth!  I will take that side effect with a smile.

Alibeths

Hey Teresa!!!! Thx. Do you have enough hair to wear with no wig??

argynis

Alibeths - yes that happend to me - pubs and axillary hair all gone - some hair on head still hanging on - also the leg and arm hair is still there (and that after 4xAC).

Alibeths

Really???? Crazy!!! Do you still have a lot of hair on your head?? How about your eyebrows?

argynis

I had the impression that I lost all the darker hair. I still have my eyebrows and eyelashes. The hair I have on my head is not very dense and very light blond - I look like a baby (my normal hair was dark brown and those dark hairs all fell out). My RN said that the Taxol may kill even those hairs and the eyebrows/eyelashes too.

shimmy

ItIs: I have a backyard flock too! They're still young, though, just got them in May. I had been waiting for years to get some and I wasn't going to let cancer make me postpone it again. So we went for it! While adding a lot of work, they've also helped keep my spirits up too. Can't wait until we get eggs!

Alibeths: Oh definitely, the pubes started to go day 13. I'm using cold caps but had a spot on my crown that didn't get good coverage by the caps and that all started coming out in a massive shed starting around day 19 and continuing for a few days. I still have a few stragglers down there, but not much.

So, had my third infusion last Thursday and yesterday I started having issues with neuropathy. I had one short lived episode after my second infusion where my feet were a bit tingly and then when I put my shoes on, they just didn't feel "right". But after a couple of hours that resolved itself.

This time around I'm having tingling in both my hands and feet, plus my thumbs went partially numb. The tingling is very subtle and I don't notice it when I'm busy. We were getting ready to go to my neice's birthday party and I went to sign the birthday card and realized as I picked up the pen and tried to write that my thumb was numb in places making it difficult to write. Then I noticed all the tingling going on in my feet and hands as well.

It sort of comes and goes, occasionally getting worse (flat out numbness in my thumbs, tingly sensation creeping up to my shins and calves). I am so unhappy about this turn of events. My biggest fear was developing Neuropathy as I'm a belly dance teacher and also make hand made costumes, clothing, jewelry, etc for a living. Numb hands and feet could ruin everything!

I don't know what's worse, the fear that it will continue to get worse or even become permament, or that I'll have to change or stop my treatment to prevent that from happening.

Ok, I know which scares me more-- that the neuropathy will get worse. At the moment, I'm so sick of chemo if my doctor said we'd have to stop I'd probably celebrate. But that's mostly the "chemo dead zone" (as I call my post-infusion bad time) talking.

Anyone else out there having any neuropathy issues?

okiecountrygal

Ok, regarding my swelling of hands, feet and legs MO, said this is a common side effect.  Gave me Lasix and Pottasium to try to get off the extra water. I had gained 5 pounds of water weight, no wonder I've been so sluggish.  I was so tired yesterday after my infusion that I just went home sat in recliner and fell asleep.  Working today but am still so sleepy.  Seems like every infusion affects me differently.  Keeps you wondering what to expect I guess.  Other than being tired and swelled, nothing else going on (yet!)  Halfway done with the hard stuff!  Feels like a milestone to me.

Hope everyone else is doing well.  Kate glad your new cocktail seems to be treating you better.  Hope it holds up.  It's time you got a break.

Gully

Hello ladies! I have been off the boards a couple of days. I am 13 days past infusion 3, and feeling pretty well. I have some reflux, but am managing. 

Shimmy: I too have the dreaded neuropathy! Mine started about 10 days after infusion 2. It started as red palms and feet that tingled like they were "asleep" I know what you mean about your feet feeling funny in your shoes. It does not hurt, just does not feel right. After infusion 3 I have graduated from tingles to slight numbness in my fingers, nothing else in the feet. I can still pick things up, it just feels different. Also the beds of my nails are darkening, especially my thumbs and they are tender near the cuticle. I complained about it to my MO before round 3. He said it was not unusual with Taxotere and that It "should" resolve itself following treatment. He did not seem concerned and did not have anything to help with it.  I have delayed round four by one week so I can attend my daughter's graduation from bootcamp hopefully that will help by giving my body just a little break.

I hope everyone else is digging their way out their yucky week. It certainly seems that we are all wearing a bit. If you think about it , it makes sense, we are taxing our bodies with each round. I am trying to keep my head up but as many of you mentioned its very hard sometimes not being able to see the end of treatments and feeling sick all the time to some degree. I am dreading round 4 but at least it should be the last one for me.

Does anyone know how long it takes after the final infusion to feel normal again?

Teresa_G

No I don't have enough hair on my head to go without anything.  I have been wearing head coverings of sorts but not a wig.  That will most likely only get used once.  My nephew is getting married in September but I don't know of anything else that I will wear it for.  I have a really comfy turban and soft baseball (but way cuter) type cap that covers the back of my bald head, those are my favorites to throw on and go.  I do have quite a few hairs hanging on here and there but not much.  You can see all of my scalp just fine through the hairs.  

Pattysmiles

Greetings,

Sorry to hear about the neuropathy hitting a few.

Have you asked your MO if you can ice during the taxotere?

I bring bags of frozen veggies and bags of ice cubes...3 of each. Place them all in a cooler/cooler bag with some ice packs.



I sit with the soles of my feet together and wedge one bag of veggies between my toes, then I place the other bags of veggies, one on each side of the toes.

For the hands pretty much the same. I grab the bag of ice and place the other bags onto the other parts of my fingers.

Keep the ice on for as,long as possible during taxotere...and yes, it is okay to go use the bathroom, just put the ice on when you get back.

Same thing to avoid mouth sores, suck on ice chips, Popsicle or icee during taxotere drip.



For those that already neuropathy I have read on the boards here about vitamins (again, ask your MO). This is off a website I googled.



Use of vitamins, especially B vitamins (B-1, B-6, and B-12). Ask your health care provider about dosing. Vitamin E and niacin are also important to nerve health.



Hoping the tingling subsides.

Pat

lpc

Good morning

I start taxol this morning and neurapathy is my worse nightmare. I have followed the weekly taxol forum and those ladies have great advice for avoiding it. My mo agreed with all they advised do fingers are crossed. I am doing dose dense and mo will reduce dowager if necessary.



On subject of hair I still have pubes and leg hair also eyebrows. Expecting to lose it with taxol. Eyebrows will be traumatic but am prepared for it.



My coworkers celebrated my bday with me at work last night. Cake and flowers. One had her sister who is a quilter and 15 yr stage 3 bc survivor make me the most beautiful quilt ever! They managed to turn my frown upside down and 2 of them will be with me today. I can and will do this. After today I will have more treatments behind me than ahead of me. Big milestone.



Hope all have a great day.





Lisa

Ukkate

So new treatments bring new SE  I still have some nausea but now I have this muscle ache all over my neck, back and shoulders.  No steroids with the weekly Taxol regime either - which I guess is a good thing, but my eye brows have already started to fall out

I will have 5 more taxol/hercepten treatments each week and then I'm done with chemo.  As happy as I am to not have TCH anymore, I would've only had one more treatment and instead I have 5 now

I'm worried about the neuropathy too...agghhh - it all sucks doesn't it.

My Onco said that swimming in the public swimming pool was fine btw....isn't it funny how different they all are..(sorry to just throw that out there, I know we were talking about it a few weeks ago)

I have my son's 5th grade graduation today - I can't believe I"ll have 2 in middle school now (and one in 1st grade!!!)

Hope your SE are easy on you today ladies

xx

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Happy birthday, Pat! I hope today's treatment leaves ZERO SEs for you!

Lorrie

carla53

Pat-Yes it was a God send that I was "ahead of myself" re my hubby. There is still room for improvement, but so grateful for the improvements made so far. Sounds like your hubby is stepping up to the plate. Somewhat reluctantly, but at least he is doing so. Hope both of our hubbys continue to add to their contributions AND that when this trial inour life is over, they continue with the contributions. Personally it will be necessary for my future health, that he does.

Lisa-None of this is fair, that's for sure. Through all this b.s. your going through, so happy your frown was turned upside down celebrating your birthday. THAT will be a good memory that will be a good memory that will stick long after this triall we are going through is

Lorrie-Darn. I feel your pain. Hope you are feeling better and that you have a beautiful time at the shower.

GoWithTheFlow-Thanks for the encouraging words. Hard to think I'll look back and see how strong I was. But I will hang onto your words.

Kobrien-I sure hope it gets better for you soon. Some relief please.

Teresa-Hope your temp is down and that you are feeling better.

Oakiecountrygal and elkatho-Congratulations on your half way point.

And good luck on your s.e.'s.

Ukkate-the only trouble I've had with my foob (assuming that means boob, ignorance here) is that sometimes it feels so bloated and

uncomfortable. But never has it bumped into something. Sorry your

s.e.'s are sticking it to you and that your eyebrows are falling out. I didn't have too much problem with my hair but am concerned with my eyebrows. But really, I would give my hair eyebrows and eyelashes just to feel good.

Pat - Congrats on your booked vacation. That's exciting. Didn't know it is your birthday. Didn't catch that in the thread HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAT!

And good luck with your treatment and effects.

ReddheddMomma -So sorry your s.e.'s are yukky right now. Hoping relief comes very soon

Michelle-Like what your MO said "you don't get any points for leaving the oills in the bottle." My hubby reminds me often to get relief for pain with meds prescribed. Just don't like putting more drugs in my body, but sure do like the relief :

Shimmy and Gully- Hope your neuropathy gets better

Ukkate-Sorry your s.e.'s are sticking it to you and that your eyebrows are falling out. I didn't have to much trouble with my hair but am concerned eith my eyebrows and lashes. Well actually, I'd give all my hair no problem. Just make me feel good. Sure hope you enjoy your fifth graders graduation.



Missed last Thursday s chemo, again postponed today. Will probably start up again next Wednesday. This hand thing did a number on me and on chemo treatment. Have to say I was relieved yesterday when I was told I had to wait another week. Didn't really think I was up to it physically or emotionally.



Too all you beautiful May flowers and good day - Carla

MzDiva

Hello Everyone,

My mom is still itching and Sunday will be a week since the Neulasta. She is drinking a lot of water. She has been weak and experiencing bone pain. But they did prescribe atarax for the itching which helped some. She doesn't have any known allergies to latex. We are now hoping that it will go away once she has finished her last round of chemo in 2 weeks.

MzDiva

MzDiva

Happy Birthday Pat!!!

ItIsWhatItIs2013

Haha... I meant Lisa ! Stupid chemo brain!.....