Anyone starting chemo in June 08
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Ugh, i'm nervous about tomorrow. Its my first paxitaxol treatment. I take two steroid pills today. I'm nervous because he said some people have a reaction. Any advice anyone? Also, I go every 2 weeks and then start herceptin after surgery for a year. It seems like most people go weekly with herceptin. I'm a little concerned about that. Is anyone else going every 2 weeks and having herceptin later?
Thanks,
Laura
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Welcome to all.
Hunkydory: I did see bigfoot but he disappeared before I could get a good picture. Had a geat time camping.
fightinhrd123 the first treatment is always the hardest as you don't know what to expect. Everything should be OK.
My skin has changed in texture, it is rougher, feels and looks like leather. I use oil and lotion but still feels weird.
I've been watching the Olympics every chance I get. I'm hooked. Got to go watch some track and field!!
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Hey everyone - buttt still itchy - now have cankers! With regisrd to finding something to drink - gatoraid works great - but try to swith to powerade as there is a whole lot less sodium. I will try the berry - the red and blue dont really make me sing with proase but I can drink them - puttin gthem in the freezer - awesome idea - will try next round!
I ordered some stuff off the internet for my behind - having an itchy bum - itchy enough to keep me up at night - example it is now 2:14 in the morning and it is too itchy to sleep - if this stuff works will let you know. Also have cankers now so ordered stuff off the internet for that too the normal lemon juice and mouth rinse are not having any effect this time! I am being driven a little crazy this time around! Anyone else with canker remedies!
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SuePeet- Have you tried the biotene mouthwash? I was amazed how quickly it worked for me. I have no suggestions for the itchy bum other than wet wipes.
I sawa a "news" report that bigfoot was in the freezer of some guy in the southeast. I am sure it is true.
Sarah
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SuePeet - The canker sores almost did me in during my first treatment. I tried almost everything, but most did not work at all once the canker sore started. They actually led to an infection for me. However, I DID find one remedy that worked aan worked FAST - called Canker Covers (at Shoppers Drugs). Worked so well, the nurses at the Centre are starting to recommend it to others here. One of the other ladies on the Boards tried it too and it worked well for her.
Gina
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Laura - I will be starting my Taxol and Herceptin on September 8th (my 4th and final AC is today, then 3 weeks off before next one.) I am going to have Taxol with Herceptin weekly for 12 weeks. Then I believe I will continue the Herceptin every 3 weeks for 13 doses after that (so a total of one year on Herceptin, just weekly at first then going to every 3 weeks.) Also, I think that they will not give me the Herceptin and the Taxol together the first time, but will do them a day apart (I assume so they can identify which is responsible for a reaction if one occurs.) It is interesting to me why there are different schedules for receiving the same drugs...I wonder how they determine who does what??
Good luck with your first Taxol...I will be interested to hear how it goes since I'll be in your shoes in a few short weeks. I am nervous about my AC today (I've become more nervous with each treatment) because I know I am going to be sick and I dread it...AC has not been kind to me so I'm hoping the Taxol will be easier as I've heard.
Carolyn
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Thanks carolyn, I did not find ac to hard, I mean dont get me wrong it sucked, but I had to do the neopogen shots and they were almost worse!!! At least is this your last one!! Mentally that will be easier. I will let you know how the taxol goes. My nurses say most women tolertate it very well, my Dr of course gives me all the worst scenarious!!! We do have almost the same stats. My lump is 3cm, i'm grade2./3, ER and HER2 pos, i'm not sure about the PR, it didnt say on my biopsy report, and I have a lymph node, possibly 3. You havent had your surgery right? I guess I'll be done before you going every 2 weeks. I'm gonna ask my Dr today though, everyone else seems to go weekly, with the herceptin!!! Anyway good luck today, i'll be thinking of you whilest i'm sitting in my chair
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About the cankers.... yes I use the biotene mouthwash and it does work wonders.
Good luck to everyone having it this week. Hopefully, no side effects..
As for bigfoot.... he was in some commercial singing.. I am sure of it
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I had my taxol on Tuesday, and since Thursday I started having fever. My doctor told me to watch it and inform her if it goes beyond 100.5. It never did. But I always had at least 99.0.
Is it common? Any one of you had it?
So far as bone pain...it was not much...
Kiya
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kiya
I am on taxotere..similiar to taxol. Yes, i felt hot for days but my temp never went above the 99.0. I think it is a symptom of this chemo. Be aware of the bone pain and if you get it... I would advise taking a painkiller.... my pain was really bad on day 3 and 4... look after yourself.
Karen
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I have been chuckling about the bigfoot thing since the press report Friday. The two capturers still claim they have definate evidence. Just a nice break in all the campaign coverage. I am sick of that. Too bad Wyoming couldn't get a good picture. That's OK Wyoming....that seems to happen a lot! HeHe
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kiya,
I had a fever all weekend (10 days after my first taxotere), even close to 101 at one point, but I just took some motrin and tylenol and kept an eye on things and it receded nicely. I was out of town and was prepared to visit a local hospital if necessary, but I felt fine.
I'm with Karen - that bone pain was awful. I described it as being like "piranhas nibbling on my spine". I was in agony, so it's nice that not everybody suffers like that.
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So fever may be just SE...well, then I have to deal with it...I will always carry painkiller in case I need it...
Thanks...
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I had bone pain in my legs, hip, spine and particularly in my sternum. I think it was from the Neulasta - lasted about 5 days for me. The sternum pain was scary, as it was almost a throbbing pain If I hadn't read about it on these boards, I probably would have thought I was having a heart attack. As it was, I took tylenol extra strength most of the time, with a codeine once as the pain was too much to sleep with.
Gina
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I'm back from my first taxol and there was actually a women in there who had a reaction being taken out on a guerny! kinda freaked me out, but the nurses reasured me that it very rare and I was fine. I found out though that I am not ER/PR+ after all, even though I was told I was, so I dont get tamoxifen, just herceptin. Now I'm trying to figure out if this is good or bad, if that makes sense!!! Hope everyone is having a good day. My Dr gave me vicodin in case I get bone pain. Ive never taken it before, so I hope its ok
Laura
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fightinhrd123: Glad you made it through. Hope you dont have the bone pain too bad. Sounds like your doc has you covered for pain if you need it. Do you have to get a neulasta shot tomorrow? Cheers....HunkyD
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Oh no no nuelesta for me, im so special I get to inject neupogen into my stomach
I was doing them for FIVE days after AC, but he's not having me do them this time after taxol. My counts were up, so maybe he's waiting to see if i can do without them. I really hate doing them, and they give me bad bone pain too. Ok enough wining, i'm 5/8 treatments not too bad -
For Canker Sores: Biotene mouthwash and tooth paste kept them away until I got one honking huge canker sore inside - Onco prescribed " Magic Mouthwash ", which has lidocaine to numb the mouth - but I got a rash on my chest from it. Rinse mouth each and every time you eat or drink - even if you only rinse with plain water. Change your toothbrush - I use a childs very soft kind. And my mouth is still tender to rough or crunchy food. Carmex is a brand of lip balm - either roll up kind or in a little tin and good for canker sores and here it is cheaper than chap stick.
A/C was not all that bad for me - 4 rounds of Dose Dense - 2 weeks apart with Neulasta shot 2 days later. I had bloated lower gut, but Gas X took care of that. Emend and 2 other Rx kept nausea away - zofan and some dexa... something or another. And my tumor has shrunk 50%.
Last Thursday I began Taxol and Herceptin - and will do that once a week thru October. The herceptin was fine, but taxol sent me into a MEGA hot flash down to my toenails. I am 62 and thought that was a thing of the past... surprise !! Whatever they gave me then turned my "nether region" into a burning pit of fire - thought I would burst into flames but nurse said that was common... Dang it -- next tx I am asking for a bucket of ice to sit in... lolol.
I was told that days 10-14 after this tx are my most vulnerable for germs - wtf - I get tx every week, and what is that posed to mean? wrote it down to ask on Thurs. So far no bone pain, but at age 62, I do creak and crack when I go up or down stairs. Just my toes feel like I want to chop them off - only go barefoot or slip on sandals - good thing it is summer time.
Good luck to everyone with minimal or NO side effects. Give yourself a break today - get a treat or roll over and hibernate in bed. Let the answering machine take the calls and be gentle TO and FOR yourself. HUGS, Nancy
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Biotene isn't working for me this time. Gina thanks - on my way to shoppers - are you o FEC too? You sound like you are having as much fun as me! I met a women in Super Store who was in my "chemo class" she had just had her treatment the day before - she had told her onc that she didn't think the chemo was working (other than her hair falling out!) because all she felt was "a little tired"!!! I told her I hated her and I had enough of the side effects for both of us! SHe khew I didn't really hate her!
The onc anyways gave me 3 different mouthwashes - one was the same as when I got thrush in first treatment - 2 was the Biotene which I already had and one was one they had to brew up and it tastes like really salty water! None doing anything so far - but off to Shoppers! Thanks Gina - hope things are getting better for you - how many treatments do you have to do? A couple of my friends who have also gone through this only had four treatments - lucky me gets 6! 4 down 2 t go!
I seem to get cankers after every treatment sarting the end of the second week but they normally go away pretty quick - this time is like the first time when I got cankers and thrush! Being on the tip of my tongue - its delatying me from fulfilling my craving of fries and a Big Mac! !!!!!
lefty - just make sure you drink lots of water! with regards to the germs - and being vulnerable - they do try to scare the pants off you - the nurses told me to just stay away from really crowded places - use that sanitizer on your hands if you were using a shopping cart - but you yourself carry the most germs - so you are likely to get germs from yourself - wash wash wash!
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Nancy: Glad you got through your new treatment minus the "Burnin' ring of fire" in said area. I think that is a Johnny Cash song. Made me giggle...but sorry you had to go through that.... I will be on herceptin by itself I think after my other posion is done. I am going for trt #4 of 6 tomorrow. My counts were kind of iffy but they are going ahead. Can't hardly wait for the bone pain again.
SuePeet: As far as your friend from chemo class goes with just "a little tired" LLB!
Hope everyone in our class is holding up. Thinking about all of you and wishing you the best. HunkyD
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Magic mouthwash is a blend of benedryl and kaopectate. The pharmacist mixes it up and bottles it. It is just meant to soothe your canker sores it does not make them go away any faster. If your onc is unable to prescribe it for you, call your dentist. I have never tasted it, it sounds yucky, but I have prescribed it for kids with canker sores so they can eat. It is important to be able to eat good stuff while going through chemo.
I had my first taxol/herceptin tx today. No problems and my husband brought subway (with cookies) for lunch so we had a chemo picnic. So romantic~ ha ha I went in early at 8:15 to get a port draw and it took until 9:15 so then didn't have time to run home so just waited for my 10:30 appt, then chemo, then an xray to check my sinuses so I left the hospital at 4:30. Such a long day. I am now lounging on the couch and do not plan to help with anything tonight.
Hope everyone else has good treatments this week... Kelly
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SuePeet - Hope the canker covers work well for you too. I also had thrush at the same time and used Nystatin as a mouthwash/gargle (even swallowed it hoping to take the edge off my sore throat). I had all the mouthwashes you had (the witches brew was called something like Dk. Akabuti's mouthwash). None of them worked for me once I had the canker sores. For treatment 2, I started using a prescription green mouthwash 4 times a day and I didn't get any sores at all. I've already started that this time too.
I had Tx3 today - the first one where they added the (loading dose) of Herceptin - so it was a long day. I give myself a Neulasta shot tomorrow and then pray for an easy time of it! I already started with Senekot and Colace, as I want to avoid the horrible constipation I had after Tx1.
Hope all are having easier days!
Gina
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OMG, HunkyD --- Burning ring of fire -- perfect !!!! Yes, Johnny Cash sang it and it is one of my favs in my car.
Sorry about the mouth and bone aches and constipation - I have been way too lucky with minimal side effects and hope no biggie ones hit after this next tx on Thurs.
Interesting Gina: you get Neulasta shot with the taxol and herceptin? I was told I do not need it, but had it after each dose dense A/C.
HUGS, Nancy
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Nancy - I didn't get Neulasta with my first treatment, but had a bout of neutropenic fever (ANC <0.1) that sent me to the ER. So Neulasta was added for Tx2,3 and 4. (I was told that the ANC shouldn't go that low.) Interesting though that the day before Tx2 (that's the only time I get a blood test), my white cells were up to 8,800 (with no Neulasta); the day before Tx 3 (with Neulasta after Tx 2), my WCBs were only up to 5,500. Still, both are good counts, but I think I would not have been put on Neulasta if I had not gone to the ER as they would never have known my counts were so low. Thank goodness I have good insurance! Only 1 more Tx to go after Tx3 yesterday - it will be on Sept.9.
Gina
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Well.......all moved in.......fast and furious few days........still f-ing bleeding......jeez....can I get a break.........had first Taxol today......good news..... with Taxol........the wait isn't as long......because they know the infusion takes a while......bad diarriah since treatment......anybody else?.........and everything tastes like sh*t.......so thought I would finally take a bath in my new tub........only to have husabnd scream upstairs about halfway full to turn the water off and start bailing........drain is leaking through the basement ceiling......yes the finished part.........so there I am bald and naked.......running to the garage for buckets.....and start bailing.......kids come in to see all the commotion.......the looks on their poor little faces.....good thing they in the basement watching a movie at the time.......or god knows how much damage there would be.........
Fingers crossed for few SEs for all of us.
Cheers
Jax
Oh yeah......update on the port......cancelled the appointment......asked a few of the nurses I'm friendly with for their opinion.........all of them said I have "good veins".......and since I'm done the AC........the really hard one for your veins.......off the record.....they said they wouldn't bother.......so no surgery on Friday!......yay!
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Vino Sounds like a little IOS going on with the plumbing problem. I do know from the bottom of my heart how much my dh loves to work on plumbing. Good thing though about less surgery with the port going out the window. Hope your aunt flow packs up and takes off real soon. She and her ugly cousin Diarriah together can really get a person irritated to say the least.
Wyoming......good luck tomorrow!
Hang in there....HunkyD
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Hi Everyone:
Yesterday was # 2 Taxol and Herceptin - NO burning ring of fire, but eyesite go a bit weird - I saw zebra stripes in front of my eyes and they slowed down the benedryl drip and diluted it with saline. Told me that is common and until they get all the meds and timing organized, it is a bit of a trial and error. No lasting effects either... WHEW...
Of course it took longer than I expected, but I was home by 5 pm - still a long day. Next week, # 3 - should be perfect - third time is a charm - I hope. What has amazed me is that I have no bone pain, either with the A/C, Neulasta or so far with this tx. Keeping fingers and toes crossed.
As far as the port -- I had a heck of a time getting one with my first insurance, then finally got it on Aug 11. It is wonderful - as I was told by most. The lady next to me yesterday had to have 4 nurses come in and thump her arm for a good vein. She has had 3 tx so far and they told her she should have a port, but she told me she is not going under the knife any more. Then the iv leaked, but it was only the pre meds, so they then had to redo it again. Her arm was a huge purple bruise and I felt sorry for her. I overheard them tell her next time they may have to do in her leg. I was told that each time a vein is stabbed a small scar forms and I was told that is the main reason for a port because eventually all the area is too scared to access. Maybe TMI..
Another good thing at my age (62) - aside from the burning ring of fire last week - no aunt flow. I think the plumbing gods are on a rampage - you are the 5th person I know with water leaking into the basement and/or family room area. My son's inlaws had to have the ceiling, panelling, and entire floor removed due to a bad leak from the upstairs. Can I gloat that I no longer have those problems since I am in an apartment...
Some good news - this morning I went over to complain (again) about Big Foot upstairs - he woke me at 5 am yesterday and again today - He is moving - "soon", according to the apartment manger... cause for a " pah tee"... How about 4:30 p.m. or so tomorrow? We can make it a pot luck and I will provide lots of beverages and junk food... lolol. Ok, a veggie platter also - OK?
Keep smiling - makes them wonder what you are up to. HUGS, Nancy
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Had my 4th treatment yesterday. Everything went well. I came home and slept. Except for the maga night sweats slept pretty good. A little groggy today but so far so good.
Hunkydory how did your treatment go?
My less then one year old cat, Spencer, brought me a present this morning. A dead bird. I keep telling him that birds are good but they need to stay outside and alive. I also told to kill all the mice but keep them outside. So far he hasn't listened. The joys of pet hood! Good thing is so cute and friendly. He and my dog, Maggie, keep me company during my treatment too the point I trip over them, but it does make me feel good.
After my last treatment in Oct. I'm taking a trip with my husband to Seattle. I can hardly wait.
Have a good one.
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Wyoming: Had my treatment Wednesday...uneventful.. and neulasta shot yesterday. I just woke up about 15 minutes ago and it is almost 11:00 am. I cant believe it. I think I slept for close to 12 hours. Crazy. Guess we are over the halfway mark anyway. I will have to do radiation after this and herceptin so I have a ways to go. Sounds like your cat is a good little hunter. I have a big dog that keeps me company, Hoping for little or no bone pain and a restful easy day. Later, Take care all. HunkyD
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Wyoming,
How has Spencer responded to your lack of hair? My cat Sid keeps staring at my head (no matter what's on it) and if nothing's on it, he comes over for a sniff!
gina
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