October 2013 Chemotherapy

lgkgde13

Vintagegal- yeah maybe that is it. I was invited to lunch yesterday and then coffee today and I totally bailed on both. I just don't want to talk about it anymore or think about it. Maybe just too exhausting being around others putting on the "happy" face. I know I don't have to but feel like I should. I hate complaining about being tired to my DH all the time. He must be sick of me already but he keeps saying we will get through this. We just got married in July and if we can survive this we are good to go, right? Lol

Headeast

It is funny you all write about having to put a happy face. A friend asked me to stop by and I said no. It is too much effort to show I am ok, when all I want is to be alone and rest. I was a social butterfly, now I just want to rest and pass through this with no SEs

Gramof2boys

Last A/C today!!!! Now on to Taxol for 12 weeks, please let it be easier. I am still working usually 28 hours a week, I get tired sometime but make it. I do like to stay home too, just to take it easy. After working I don't really feel like going anywhere, I hope I can get my Christmas shopping done. I am praying for minimal SE for myself and everyone this weekend.

Malakies

Hi all,

I just got home today from a couple of days in hospital!! I got a fever of 100.8 early Wed morning. Headed to cancer center, they took blood and all the usual vitals... 9 days after my 3rd chemo. UGH! My blood count was very low.. dangerously low, the cyst on my thigh wasn't responding to the antibiotics so that caused a bit of a mess. Anyhow.. I was given a couple of bags of blood... antibiotics via IV and a couple of nights in the hospital. The nurses called it 'the princess suite' since I was labeled a 'compromised patient' I was neutropenic... details on google! lol

When this whole BC started, I was told that there is a chance of hospitalization, for some.. I just didn't think it would be me.!! Oh well, I feel great today ... and I did meet some awesome nurses and docs at the hospital. The negative...my last AC scheduled this coming Monday 11/25 is postponed until the following Monday. The positive: I will eat like a pig and feel good on Thanksgiving!!

Enjoy your night ladies!!

Headeast

Malakies, I am sorry for your hospitalization but glad you are back!

SchoolCounselor

welcome back Malakies!! I learned about neutropenia too, but fortunately I had asked for the neulasta shot after my first chemo, so I was high enough to be sent home with antibiotics. Will they give you the shot after your next chemo?

Enjoy thanksgiving, with my second chemo yesterday, I can't taste anything. I hope my taste buds will be back for thanksgiving.

denise4603

My chemo has been postponed 5 times now due to my drains still draining after 10 weeks. I originally was supposed to start in early October, but now it looks like it will be December. Just want to say I appreciate your posts. It helps me prepare myself mentally for what lies ahead.

Good luck to all.

Denise4603

SchoolCounselor

Hang in there Denise. This is a long tough road. That's a long time to have drains in!! I hope they come out soon. My PS took mine out after 10 days and I had some seroma but my body absorbed it , like they said it would.

Headeast

DebDylan, my skin is very dry too. I am using Neutrogena sesame oil and face creams. My skin looks dark and somewhat dead too. Although people say it looks great. Must be all the make up I put on, lol!

SchoolCounselor

I use a Shea butter and coconut oil mix. With a few other things, aloe, glycerin and done other oils. Pit tibia damp skin after my shower. My skin seems to be holding up okay. I'm just recovering after chemo on Thursday and I am wiped today. This too shall pass.

sloyd66

schoolcounselor, thank you for that bible verse Proverbs 3:5-6

SchoolCounselor

my pleasure sloyd!!

Furfriend2

Malakies,

I too am sorry to hear you were hospitalized. Glad you are feeling waaaay better now

I am soo tired, fatigued , with headaches this weekend. I did absolutely nothing yesterday but watch TV and rest. Was suppose to visit a friend but could not muster up the energy. Today I must go to the laudrymat and here I sit. Oh I will get my act together- hopefully. I too don't want to be around friends and family so much so I am glad I am not alone in this. I have always liked my space/privacy and more so now.

So glad I should feel better for Turkey Day. Going to Mom's and none of us are cooking this year. Picking up prepared Thanksgiving trimmings from the grocery store. Nice and easy. What are everyone's plans?

Grams-congrats on last AC. you are right behind me . Are you scheduled for an ecco as well prior to Taxol?

Does anyone experience chestpains on and off & shortness of breath? I have mentioned to my nurse and MO and they don't seem overly concerned. I am however getting an ecco 2 days after I start Taxol.

Hugs to All and Happy Turkey Day- hope we all are able to eat and enjoy something during this holiday

Furfriend2

Deb,

Funny you should mentioned this as I am right there with you. My skin looks terrible as well and I would think a loofah would help perhaps.

sloyd66

Has anyone kept halfway descent skin especially on the face from taking chemo or any of these cancer drugs? I keep reading about different ones with the acne, and the lizard looking skin... kind of scary cause my skin is pretty much ok, no acne none of that. should I expect a change or everyone is different?

Gramof2boys

Furfriend- I had an echo after my 3rd A/C treatment and it was great. Ejection fraction was 70%. I have a breast ultrasound scheduled for Dec. 10 to see progress of chemo on breast tumor. My MO examined me last week and she couldn't feel the lymph nodes under my arm, which I had 2 that you feel easily. She also said breast lump is much smaller! So I am hoping for good results! I'm hoping that the Taxol goes well and continues to destroy this beast! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. I will be off to get a Neupogen injection shortly. Did any of you need these injections with Taxol? My MO said I probably won't but I think I have seen some people still need to get them. I'm praying Taxol is easier than the A/C tx.

Headeast

As for skin, my skin looks very dry, i am using any/all face creams I have at home. I am using now an aging treatment and seems to help. The skin look dark and around the eyes looks very tired. I know it is temporary so don't car too much.

All I can think of now is that I am 10 days aways from my last treatment! The feeling is really good, I even went out boating today, but scared about touching lines and didn't help at all. Even going up and out the boat scared me a little, the expanders hurt when I move in certain ways.

Gramof2boys, good luck with your tests!

gavinsgrandma

FurFriend2, I had some chest pains, heart palpitations and shortness of breath all through A/C, in fact about 2 1/2 weeks after my last one I ended up in the ER with my heart racing and SOB they did give me a med to slow my heart rate and that helped. I had my last A/C on 10/10 and I still get SOB once in awhile and a few arrhythmia's but not near as bad. Hope all goes well with your Echo, they did an EKG on me in the ER and everything was fine but with A/C it is better to have it checked because it can cause heart damage.

Malakies

Thanks for the well wishes ladies!

I am not sure if the 2 bags of blood I received in the hospital are the cause of the AMAZING way I feel since Friday, but I like it! I honestly feel like I am not a cancer patient going through chemo! I am bummed they postponed my last AC treatment (which was scheduled for tomorrow 10/25) but on the flip side.... I will feel fabulous on Thanksgiving AND eat like a pig and I don't care!!

Wishing you all a great holiday and hope everyone's SE are minimal this week!

Viji

Yes I have shortness of breath and heart palpitations especially if I do the stairs.

My skin I feel is looking horrible and now I am trying to avoid going out in the sun. Parts of my face have dark patches like it is sunburned.

kittykate78

hey all! for anyone having skin issues, i found some great products that are really helping me. The first is a gentle exfoliating pad: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MUBR5U/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You use it every few days with a gentle cleaner to remove dry skin. it is antibacterial as well, so you don't have to worry about it carrying any germs or mold or what not. I also found the face towel to go with it, which I use only for my face and keep seperate from my hand towel:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DJBW6S/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



After I wash my face with the pad and a cream cleanser for sensitive skin, I rinse with cool water to close my pores and pat dry. Then I moisturizer with a sensitive skin lotion to which I add an infusion oil. (I have an Aveda brand, but you can add straight vitamin E to any lotion to boost its moisturizing power) After that, I also dab extra vitamin e oil onto any particularly dry spots. Lastly, I sleep with a really good humidifier on next to my bed.

There is no reason you cannot manually exfoliate, just avoid the chemical methods. Remember that having dry skin is super risky for us due to infection. You can also buy moisturizing mists, which can be sprayed on the face throughout the day to keep your skin moist but not mess your make up. I know they sell them at Sephora. Now is definitely not the time to skimp on products.

My friend is an esthetician and also recommended jojoba oil since it mostly resembles the natural oils in your skin. She also told me that powdered make up can be very drying and that I might need to switch to a liquid or semi liquid. I use Bare Minerals but went and got the moisturizing powder foundation and it seems to be ok. My trouble areas are under and around my eyes - like sandpaper I try and moisturizer several times a day after dabbing them with cool water.

Anyway, hope this helps. I never had to use sensitive skin products before, but they are making a huge difference for me and well worth the money to have stuff free of parabens and other components that can react with chemo.

Pam358

Wren - good luck with your first treatment! We'll be here waiting so you can tell us how it went! {{{{hugs}}}}

wrenn

thanks pam. One and a half ativans and i am still awake thanks to steroids. I amusually a very good sleeper so this is a surprise. I'm not anxious though. I will check in. Thanks

Viji

Wrenn, good luck! will be thinking of you and hope all goes well.

gavinsgrandma

wren, good luck today on your treatment and prayers for minimal SE'S and a peace full week.

I hope everyone has a good week and a very Happy Thanksgiving🐔

Shary

Pam358

The general feeling of yucky side effects are gone, now just waiting for the side effects of the steroids to disappear - the jitteriness and the restless leg stuff - drives me crazy. It helps me get stuff done because I don't want to sit for very long....lol

Hope this week brings some good holiday memories!

lgkgde13

wrenn- thinking of you today. I will be going tomorrow for last AC. My thanksgiving will be crappy

SpecialK

wren - I sent you a post on the other thread - good luck - I know this has been a long wait!

Yay for the last one for some of you!

wrenn

Thanks for the well wishes. I only slept about 3 hours (I am usually an 8 or 9 hourer) so I feel jittery this morning. I took a clonazpam and am eating to have a full stomach for the steroids. I am anxious about the day but the clonazepam will kick in soon and I might take ativan once there if it isn't offered in the IV. I don't do well going without sleep so must try something tonight so that I can handle the trip out for the neulasta shot tomorrow and back for dressing change of my wound. Home care nurses may not be finding my home as tidy as they have the last 3 months.

Good luck to everyone else starting and finishing. I will check back later today to see how everyone is doing. xoxo

SpecialK

debdylan - I am actually not a nurse - I worked in Transfusion Services in the hospital where I had my BMX, have a bunch of doctor/nurse in-laws, and had dad/brother with stage IV cancer, and a son that is a firefighter/EMT and works in the emergency room - so lots of exposure to medical stuff and people. I had a long history of lumps, starting when I was 25. I had a baseline mammo at 30, one at 35, then started annual mammos at 40 which were almost always followed by ultrasound immediately because they could palpate lumps that did not show up on mammo. Self-exam was useless because there were always multiple lumps in each breast. I have had many aspirations and up until diagnosis all I ever had were cysts. I had a regular mammo in Sept. of '10, which was totally clear, but followed immediately by US which showed an abnormality. I was referred for a biopsy which was positive for IDC and DCIS.