Starting Chemo in September 2017

PauletteK

Thinking did you have the white blood cell shot? Your white blood cells count sounds very low, if you have th shot, then it will build back up. Did you call MO office

OCDAmy

Thinking...You should call your MO. Mine told me 100.4 without taking anything I should call. I had chills and achy and they sent me to the ER. I ended up with a UTI that had spread to my bloodstream and was hospitalized for two days on IV antibiotics. Get on it quickly!

OCDAmy

Thinking. Call your MO. Mine told me 100.4 without taking anything. I had fever, chills and achy and they sent me to ER. I ended up with a UTI that had spread to bloodstream and was hospitalized for two days on IV antibiotics. Don't mess around with this, get on it quickly.

Milkweed93

4th and final round tomorrow (Monday)! Unfortunate my hubs won't be with me He has been with me for every one of my treatments, but his dad went into the hospital and he had to go see him. Dad's home now, but weak and Mom doesn't really know what to do. They are resistant to get outside help, and my husband has to figure out how to talk them into it. Hard! Anyway, all that to say he won't be there and we are both sad about that. The good news is my dear friend is driving up to be with me and that will be good! She's so positive and a light in the darkness wherever she is.

I am looking forward to this part being over, but am also anxious about the future. You know. I'm looking into some therapy, and some ways to manage our financials. I've missed a lot of work and I'm self employed so it stings. I will miss this group a lot, but will still hang on for awhile if that's okay.

PauletteK

Hi Milkweed- so glad you are done with your chemo next Monday!! Ring that bell loud!

I’m still have 5 more taxol to do, 🙁🙁🙁 if you want, we have a FB group many of people are there now. PM me if you do.

Hope your Dad speedy recovery. It’s hard when you’re self employed, health is important it will take time to recover from chemo.

OCDAmy

Milkweed!! Woo Hoo! Congrats. Yes, ring that bell, it's a huge next step. Best of luck to you. I'm going to hang on this thread for awhile too. I'm here cheering everyone on.

mkn86

Congratulations Milkweed!!!! also, i know the frustration that comes with parents being resistant to outside help. hugs to you for that also.

i'm still here Paulette. And you're past your halfway mark!! that's also good news.

I will be on 12 doses of taxol from november until all of January. most people here will be done with their chemo and i'll still be on it

PauletteK

mkn, 12 weeks taxol takes a long time, beside my clinic will be close two days during thanksgiving that will push me back one more week. I guess that’s good I can rest a week to recover.

toughcookie_21

I will still be getting chemo until December 20, so I'm not going anywhere. I did join the Facebook group so that I can stay in touch after this is all behind us.

mkn86

yes it sounds like a long time for me too Paulette. i'm not sure how i'll hold out. but i'm hopeful that the results wil be encouraging for me to keep going. and see this through.

i've kept my cancer pretty much out of social media. it's a very.... different audience when it comes to the PH community.

PauletteK

Tough and mkn, I wonder how many more people are going through chemo now? Thread is getting slow now,

jenglutenfree

Tough, mkn, paulettek - I'm still going through chemo but have moved to the October thread. It is smaller but more current for those of us still going through chemo. I have one more round of AC and then 4 of taxol. My last round in January 4th. Hope everyone is doing well!

PauletteK

Jeng- I was from July, then move to August and September, I guess I have to move to October also. 😐😐😐

mkn86

and since it's near November, maybe it's time to start the November thread. :

jenglutenfree

toughcookie, mkn86 & paulettek - See you in the October thread! It's a smaller group but very nice people. Jen

CA-Sunshine

Hello Sisters,

I am still here also had AC#3 last Tuesday and like someone mentioned # 3 was very hard. I am usually back to normal by Saturday, today is day 7 post AC #3 and I feel sooooooo tired. Trying to still get at least 6k of my usual 10k step in on fitbit daily  since starting chemo. With this round I am lucky just to get 3k. I can't wait until I too can ring the bell.  Have a great Halloween day.  

PauletteK

CA - yes AC 3&4 kicked my butt also, I just have to take it easy and good days will come after day 7 or even 8. I learned not to push myself now, I listen to my body and walk when I have energy. On the bad days I just take it easy,

DandelionHair

thank you. Good to know. I had a kidney stone and this might have caused it. My MO said some people run a low grade fever from the Neulesta shot. I see her tomorrow for round 4

Travel_Girl

TC 3 and 4 hit me a bit harder with fatigue and 'new side' effects. I am now on Day 7 after #4 and while I haven't had big C or big D -- I am experiencing a range of GI issues that feel similar. I have tried Pepcid, advil, etc. I think it might also be because I tried to increase iron rich foods too fast to get my Hemoglobin up - so pulling back for a couple of days while I try to feel better. And as Paulette says - i have had to just 'let go' and take it easy - at this point, I would love nothing more than sleeping straight through the next few days to feel better

I am also at that point that I am trying to figure what liquids I push down - everything is just 'blah' -- any ideas ? I looked through the thread earlier, i think I am going to chase down clear carbonated juice like things with enough taste to mask the 'yuck' in the mouth.

Warrior on! These SE's stink!!!!

Henrietta405

Hey guys,

I'm still here too with my #3 of 6 THP completed. My SEs are also worse. I get pain from the taxol and then the big C from the percocet. My neuropathy is also worse than last time. I'm also really really really tired this time. Anyone have any tips for dealing with opioid induced C? I might ask my MO for a different painkiller. So far they just said to take stool softeners, but they are not working as fast as I would hope.

I feel good that I am halfway done, but also down that I might feel this bad three more times.

OCDAmy

I am right there with you with much worse side effects from my TC #4. I tried to go back to work today and was there for a few hours and felt awful so I went back home and slept most of the afternoon. I feel totally exhausted and just not like myself. This is the worse I felt through all of my treatments. I am scared I am getting an infection again. Of course I have thrush again, I get it with each treatment, so my tongue feels burned and gross.

Henrietta, after surgery I had pretty bad C due to pain meds and my visiting nurse said to take miralax. It took a few days but it really worked.

Hope everyone gets through this round, thinking of all of you!

Travel_Girl

OCDAmy - Ditto -- slept on/off all day Monday - day 6! Today is better, just still dragging and I antcipate going to sleep early ... and yes thrush again, I just keep rinsing and trying to find something that I can drink to push liquids.

PauletteK

I think all of us have fatigue SE today, I’m so tired the last couple days and didn’t sleep well last night. I’m going to see my ear nose specialist at 4 pm today, I’m not even sure I have energy.

Amy, what would you do when you have thrush?

Yes Miralax is what I use for big C also. Henriette.

Travel - did you try nuuns? I usually drink nuuns but I got tired of it now. I wish I can find something else also.

jenglutenfree

travel girl and OCDAmy - Round 3 was hard on me too. But not so much the liquids this time. TG: I've had success with carbonated clear sodas. Especially the natural ones made with cane sugar. I also seemed to do well with Hansen's Black Cherry that I found at a more natural health food store. Sweet but not too sweet. Soup counts as liquid too. I've been living on homemade soup. And my dietitian told me to freeze lemon slices and suck on them to help with the yucky taste. Vinegar seems to also help me. I even found a lemon balsamic vinegar to add to food when I can't stand how it tastes. Wishing you all happy taste buds and lots of liquid success and a little less exhaustion:)

OCDAmy

Paulette, I have an RX for nystatin, swish and swallow. It clears it up within about 5 days.

I'm gonna have to try something else because water doesn't taste good. What I really want is a beer!

hopebringscourage

I'm still here! Finished round 3- feeling blah😓 I'm using Ativan/Compazine every 6 hours for the first 3 days post chemo for the nausea. While it helps then I feel crummy stopping the pills. It's a fine balance I guess. No thrush with 2 or 3 and I agree water is getting old. I definitely haven't been drinking what I should each day.

I'm growing tired of all off this like the rest of you I'm sure- can't wait to ring the bell!

Kiwi-in-Thailand

Paulette and Amy.. on the Thrush I’ve been taking a high dose of probiotics morning and night and using Tea Tree Oil cream ... seems to be working. Like you guys I’ve a lot less energy after round 3, plus a bit more nausea so sofa surfing and drinking loads of Coconut Water (with ice and some grated ginger) - much more interesting and less blah than water tastes... just need to get through this!!

PauletteK

I haven’t have Thrush ... keep my fingers crossed!!

I’m drinking some decaf green tea and put lemon on my water. Also I learned that drinking that much water we need to watch our salt, so I mixed smart water with my water now.

Henrietta405

Thanks for the commiseration guys. I feel a little better about being so tired knowing others are tired too. I’m taking miralax but impatient. I’ll keep with it. I’m also tired of water and have been doing plain soda water and tea. I also got this mio calorie free water enhancer at Target. You just put a couple of squirts in your water and it flavors it. It helps a lot.

PauletteK

Henrietta - how does mio taste like? I’m tired of nuuns I need something new to replace it.