Starting Chemo March 2015

SueH58

So ever since my first infusion last Wed, I cannot fall asleep! I didn't get steroids, but I lay in bed and toss and turn. Every time I look at the clock, it's 20 minutes since I last looked. And w piling on the water, I'm in the bathroom every half hour. About ready to head to the couch.

Italychick

SueH58, sometimes when I can't sleep I go sleep in another room. Sometimes a change in where you sleep does work, so the couch isn't a bad idea

Jackbirdie

Chiming in as requested- my ast and alt were in the high 100s and low 200s for about a year. A surgery report from my gallbladderEctomy and the pet/ct revealed some fatty liver. But I felt it was more than that and that's why I went on a witch hunt over my meds.

Heading into chemo I really got serious about bringing them down. I didn't want to do chemo and then not get the full benefit from it because my liver couldn't take it.

But I agree they do not advise doing milk thistle and other treatments/supplements that might "interfere" with the interpretation of the enzymes.I told my MO what I was doing, (basically eliminating every med that wouldn't cause a life threatening event and the lemon water. I was low on potassium also, so they were cool with all that, as lemons are high in potassium. My liver enzymes have been in normal range since week 2 of chemo.

As Theresa said, the liver has amazing regenerative properties. It is one of the most important organs in our body, and basically everything you put in your mouth or in your skin runs through it. Until people (like me) have a real problem, you never think about how dangerous Tylenol is, mixing cough syrup or other OTCs that have acetaminophen in it with Tylenol, they aren't aware that Vicodin/norco/Hydrocodone has Tylenol in it, and how the many other drugs we take, scripted or OTC, affect the liver. Add chemo to that, and the liver starts to protest.

It's not terribly uncommon for liver enzymes to elevate briefly for unknown reasons, and they self-correct somehow, or you aren't aware of some behavior you have that affects it and you stop and they come down. My MO told me they are more concerned with whatever your baseline was, and then a trend upward. I'm sure the MOs in question will know what to advise, but avoiding the above mentioned drugs, alcohol, and drinking some lemon water cannot hurt the situation.

Trvler

Only you ladies can understand the anxiety one feels while getting ready to go to the spa.

molly1976

Do you guys remember in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where they are in the cave near the end, and Dumbledore tells Harry he has to keep making him drink poison no matter how much he doesn't want to? The longer this goes on I feel more and more like Dumbledore. I know I have to do it but I also know more clearly every time exactly how and how much it's going to suck.

eheinrich

Allison! My chair twin. I'm getting ready for the spa as well. Good luck today.

Molly - great analogy!

OK - off I go!

Trvler

Same to you, Eileen!

Molly: I haven't read them but my kids are experts on them.

ninjamary

Allison and Eileen - I feel for both of you. Good luck today. Cancer sucks.

Molly - Love Harry Potter. Read every book and saw every movie. Is Taxol that bad though? I have this idea that it's going to be a weekly breeze compared to AC.

molly1976

Yeah, I do think it's a breeze compared to AC (at least, my experience with it is) but it's also pretty crappy compared with normal life! The worst part for me is that my bad days always fall on Friday & Saturday, so I basically feel like I do nothing except get chemo and go to work and then lay around in my house when normal people are out doing fun weekend things.

wpmoon

thanks Katy and Theresa! I'll ask the mo about sby drugs/antioxidants I can help to take to lower the liver enzymes.

And Theresa, I think they waited so long to redo my echo because I was originally supposed to start chemo in January, but I did a round of IVF beforehand, and then my port surgery was rescheduled, so my chemo got pushed back. Calling today for that appointment.

Good luck ladies in the spa today. If I could get through it yesterday without kicking and screaming, so can you!

slothabouttown

Happy Cinco de Chemo to those of you in the chair today! I am toasting to your smooth sailing by drinking 128 ounces of delicious water.

Sonya-

I have been reading your comments since the beginning.  I started in March too.  You ladies have helped me so much.  Now I have a question.  My counts were down for #4.  I almost could not get chemo. I have 2 left.   The doctor is talking about giving me the shot or postponing chemo.  I prefer postponing beause I am a teacher and I want to be there for the last week of school.  So far, I have been taking 10 days off after chemo and then working 8 days.   I would miss the last week if I had the shot and my normal scheduled treatment.   I absolutely love my job.  Being at school means so much to me (and my students).  I know I am crazy to think about postponing chemo.  What effects does postponement have in the long run?

ninjamary

Molly - yes it seems the world goes on while we stand still. I'm 90% good after my last AC on 04/30. I still feel waves of nausea every now and then along with other annoying SE. I'm tired of feeling like crap 2-4 days after every treatment. With Taxol being weekly and "light" I'm hoping to at least be more normal most of the time. I'm not a fan of the sun or the summer humidity so at least I have an excuse for not being at the pool and being social all the time. I would like to get back to the gym though. I know that will pick up my mood. I will know soon enough.

Italychick

My MO said I can postpone for a week with no issue. I changed my original infusion date from Mondays to Wednesdays, so my second one was 3 weeks and 2 days after the first. So I would definitely ask.

Jackbirdie

Sloth! You are a RIOT!

Happy Cinco de Chemo to you too!

I'll drink extra water today in honor of our two sisters, Allison and Eileen, in the spa chair (instrument of torture) today. Have a good day ladies, thinking of you both

Jackbirdie

Sonya- I'm sorry I don't know the answer to your question. But I wanted to say welcome

Angiel

Welcome Sonja! Although I have a different treatment plan than you, my MO was totally fine with postponing one of my treatments by a week. The nursing staff made it sound like that happens quite regularly especially with those on 4-6 month treatment plans. I'd say go for it since the last week of school means so much to you after spending so much time with your class all year. But only you can make the decision as to what feels right for you.

Allison & Eileen, I hope all is going well for you today! Hugs!

IndyGal35

Molly, I love the Harry Potter analogy!  I totally get that!

Sloth, if you add a lemon and a little umbrella garnish to it, you can almost feel the ocean breeze.  LOL.  Come to think of it, chemo does feel a lot like a hangover if you add in the flu and uncontrollable diarrhea.....

rleepac

Welcome to my mid-day rambling...

My guts feel like they are under seige...intermittent diarrhea and cramping - yuk! Plus fatigue and still nausea. Kinda irritating that they said I wouldn't have any nausea with this cocktail - they were wrong! I believe it is the Perjeta causing all the havoc and that is only every 3 weeks so hopefully this week will be better.

I'm almost half-way done with chemo and I'm so happy because 5 months sounded like a long time when I started. 11 more weeks (or possibly only 7 more weeks - will know better by Friday)...I can do this. I will complain and be a big fat baby the whole time, but I can do this.

DH is handling the money and housing issues which takes a huge strain off me. Last night he said 'do you trust me?'. I said 'yes, with all my heart...just tell me where to sign...' I'm no good with money! Well, actually I'm good at making it, but then I'm not so good at managing it and keeping it hahahaha. I have my mom to thank for that as I can vividly remember her pulling tricks to rob Peter to pay Paul as I grew up. Sad, but it became my way of handling money too. I would prefer that my DD learns money management from her dad to save her some heartache later in life! But the good news is that we have a plan now and things are starting to happen. Whew...one less thing to worry about

Went for a walk last night with DH. I didn't feel like it but I thought it would make me feel better. Emotionally I felt better but it didn't take long before I got blisters on my feet. That never used to happen! Maybe I need better socks? Stupid chemo!!!

Ok...I'm done rambling for now.

Bekah

Jackbirdie

Awww shucks Bekah- Ihad very high hopes you would be spared the nausea this time. Let's hope it is the Perjeta and you feel MUCH better next week. I'm so sorry. Glad your DH is being such a doll. I do get you about the money. Good at making it. Even better at spending it haha

Trvler

I had to take over the money from my husband about 2009. He was letting stuff slip by. I now have a spreadsheet where I track it all. I love doing it. He was just too busy.

I am DONE with . Where is the red DEVIL emoticon????

I had a lot of anxiety and poor me this time. I don't know why. Just the smell of the alcohol was making me sick. But at least for the first time there was no pain when she injected me.

Jackbirdie

Allison- YAY!!!!! You did it!!!!

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🎉🎉🎉

ninjamary

Allison - Big F'n congratulations! Woo Hoo!

avmom

Congratulations, Trvler! That is truly a milestone. Even with some SE trouble from Taxol, and my last AC was over 2 weeks ago, I'm still enjoying the feeling of relief that I don't have to do THAT red stuff again. Pure bliss!

Here's wishing you an uneventful cycle, with minimal SEs.

ninjamary

Bekah,

I hope you feel better soon. How does it compare to AC? Here I'm all thinking this will be a walk in the park. The idea of feeling crappy every week for even a couple of days bums me out.

molly1976

I really think (hope!) you will find it not so bad, ninjamary. When I wake up on day 3 after infusion I feel kind of jittery, and then as that day progresses I start to feel tired and kind of disconnected from reality, similar to when you have the flu. Still, I make myself go for a walk that night and stay up until a normal time. Then on day 4 I feel a lot better already. I am able to run errands and go for walks and have even gone out to lunch with my husband a couple times on that day. Once it's day 5 I am back to pretty much normal and go to yoga and try to plan things with friends that day.

Other than that, I feel okay except for a dry bloody nose and mild diarrhea which linger throughout the week (not fun but not bad enough to take any medication for). And naturally I worry about neuropathy but except for some mild weirdness in a couple of fingers which has come and gone since week 2, I am OK there. My feet are a little achy lately but my MO doesn't seem concerned.

I have 4 more to go. I read somewhere on these boards today that by the time you're done with weekly taxol #9, you've had as much of the medicine as you would have in the entire dose-dense regimen, so I am feeling pretty good about that. Even if everything suddenly gets a lot worse and they want me to stop, I'll know after tomorrow that I've had a good course of this drug.

Trvler

Thanks to all of you so much. Just a little thing means so much, doesn't it? The FIRST milestone of this hideous nightmare done! I am somewhat eager to start Taxol just to see if I can continue working out. I did have a meltdown in the chair. They sent the social worker in to talk to me. It was helpful.

eheinrich

Still in the chair. Had a reaction to taxotere again. I'm glad Alan was here. Next time they are going to start me with the hydrocortisone that we always have to stop and give following the problem. Drip is dripping slowly. Dr wasn't concerned about my liver or blood counts.

The lady in the chair next to me in the beginning was very lovely and chatty. She had breast cancer, went through chemo and a year later diagnosed w cb return plus bone mets. She's had really severe side effects to all drug combos. They are trying a third combo now. There was also a child in the waiting room. Puts it all in perspective but the rediagnosis plus mets is scary.

Trvler

Sometimes I think it would be more…well, not really fun…but better to be in a room with other patients. We all have our own rooms. What was the reaction? Was it allergic? What happens?

Leighrh

WOO HOO Allison!!! RED DEVIL done!!!!!