A shrinking tumour

ForeverOptimistic

I've had my third chemo treatment. My fourth is scheduled for Wednesday, assuming my blood work is ok.

Most of my hair is gone but I still have a bit. I keep telling me hubby I look like an alien. Little sprigs sticking up. I almost need a hair cut : )

My tumour is shrinking. Yippee.

I don't have copies of my last test results before I began this lovely process, but I do know I was stage 2. I'm wondering how quickly others shrank. Am I normal, fast or slow???

Right now, I'm not certain I can feel it. I am optimistic this is working. I'm also crossing my fingers and toes that we can cut these sessions from 8 to 6. My last red devil is on Wednesday. Then my cocktail changes. I'm hoping it's nicer on my belly.

I haven't had luck with the nausea meds. They make me really nauseated, lightheaded and dizzy. Awful! I'm taking a half Ondansetron before my treatment and that's it.

I went to see a baseball game last Sunday. The Blue Jays were in Toronto. I wore my wig with a baseball cap over it and had a girls day out with a friend. Left at noon and got home at 9. Fantastic day. If only my team had won. It wasn't for a lack of cheering and encouraging on my part.

Opt4Life

Hi Forever Optimidtic, my tumor saw shrinkage half way through Taxol (which I did first) so no you may not be imagining the shrinkage. I could barely find mine after the completion of chemo and my recent MRI confirmed a lump that is 'considerably smaller' so much so that I will be having breast conservation surgeryinstead of a mastectomy. Best wishes for continued shrinkage!

Yvette66

Hi Forever!

That is great news about your tumor shrinking. Mine changed a lot in the first three infusions of AC. After the third AC my Onc sent me to the surgeon to have a marker placed in my tumor. Seeing the changes on ultrasound was very encouraging. After that it became hard to tell what was tumor and what was breast tissue. I had four rounds of AC and 12 TC. Well, I did not actually have all of the TC as I had to skip week 9 and quit the Carboplatin after that; I ended up having 11 Taxol and 7 Carboplatin. My pre-surgery MRI showed significant shrinkage with a possible small area of residual tumor; however, my pathology came back clear giving me a pCR in the area of the tumor (I had a lumpectomy) and the three nodes taken (there was evidence of prior disease in one of the three nodes but no residual). Keep it up! I must admit, it got old by the end, especially since it seemed that all the noticeable changes came early on, but push through, every bit counts!

Best of luck to both you and Opt4Life!

Yvette

Jenniferg29

I was diagnosed in april 2016 started chemo may 18 my tumor was huge 9cm u could see it if I wore a fitted shirt or tank now I can barely feel it. It has shrinked alot. My second treatment is june 8 Im having six treatments once every three weeks

ForeverOptimistic

Thanks for the replies. It's wonderful and uplifting to read of such great results.

I finished the AC (Bad Red Devil and began Docetaxel (taxotere)

After my first session of taxotere, I got congested. By morning I had the worst migraine of my life and I couldn't breath through my nose. I spent 6 days in bed, dragging myself out 3 hours a day to stretch my aching back. I didn't sleep much and ate less. My head just pounded without letting up. My fingers hurt and I broke out in a horrible rash. A lovely allergic reaction. (witch hazel helped ease the itching!)

Not fun. A month later, the headache isn't completely gone.

I made an apt and went to see my oncol. She is changing my cocktail. I'm to begin Taxol tomorrow, doing it weekly instead of once every three weeks. I'm scheduled for 9 sessions. Fingers are crossed for this drug. Mt doc belieives it will be easier on my, spreading the dose out. I hope she is right

I've been taking L-Glutamine throughout. Gargling, rinsing my mouth and swallowing 15 g once or twice a day. So far, I haven't had cold sores.

I'd like to go back to Acetyl L-Carnitine. Anyone out there use this supplement while undergoing Taxell. It's to help with the tingles in the hands and feet.