3rd chemo kicking my a##. Side effect questions

Robyn66
Robyn66 Member Posts: 169
edited June 2014 in IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)

Hi kids,

I had my third chemo on Dec 31, I am still exhaused.  Is there anything anyone knows I can do to get SOME energy back.  I have my last A/C on 1/15 but I cannot imagine being MORE TIRED!!!  Never mind what the Taxol is going to do to me.  Oh and I have some fun new side effects to deal with.

My eyes are red and dry and when I put eye drops in it feels like battery acid.  I am not wearing eye make up right now because EVERYTHING is irritating them.  I look totaly exhaused or like I have been crying for hours.  AND I have these wierd blisters on the palm of one of my hands that come and go.  My doc basically agreed that was wierd but my blood counts look really good so that is all they are worried about. 

Does ANYONE have any secret remedies for this fatigue?  I HAVE to keep working and I need to function at least to some level. 

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Love to all

Robyn

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  • apple
    apple Member Posts: 7,799
    edited January 2009

    i always down a big spoonful of molasses.. tons of iron to get that blood flowing.. lots of other nutrients.... a shot of super energy with the carbs.  I realize many think that sugar fuels cancer cells.. (seems everything does).  It's delicious straight and delicious in hot milk.

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  • Poppy
    Poppy Member Posts: 405
    edited January 2009

    Hi Robyn, oh that lovely A/C... I would sleep for days after tx! I don't know what to tell you about getting your energy back but for me, taxol was much easier in that regard than the A/C. I didn't have any days where I was zombie-d out too tired to move. Hopefully you'll find taxol the same way. Hang in there! Sooner than you think, this will all be a distant memory xoxo

    Erica

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  • vision4utoo
    vision4utoo Member Posts: 138
    edited January 2009

    Robyn, 3rd A/C was the roughest - I recall the oncologist telling me so after the fact and wondering why she didn't say so up front...different story - the 4th was actually alot easier and I finally lost my eyelashes @ the 17 day mark from final chemo - was not happy as I had marveled that I had them through the chemo only to have them be the last to leave.

     I too worked through most of my chemo - except for the last one in which the onco had me take off 3 weeks to recoup - Hang in there!

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  • GracieM2007
    GracieM2007 Member Posts: 1,564
    edited January 2009

    Robyn, I have to agree, my third also was the worst.  The fourth wasn't nearly as bad.  And I did really well on Taxol, so hopefully it won't be as bad for you.  Hang in there, it gets better.

    Gracie 

    Dx 4/27/07, 1.7cm, Stage 2, Grade 3, 1/9 nodes, ER/PR + (97%), Her2-, BRCA 1 and 2 negative. 

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  • Robyn66
    Robyn66 Member Posts: 169
    edited January 2009

    At noon yesterday ( a full 7 days!!!!!!!) I started feeling a little like myself again.  Today, I am much better.  I forgot to tell you in the first message that the day of chemo I had this wierd weakness in my legs that scared the crap out of me!  I had NEVER felt anything like that before.  In fact usually chemo day I felt fine.  I was glad to hear that others have had a tough third AC (not GLAD but you know what I mean ;) )  I have been absolutely dreading next week's final AC.  Hopefully it won't be so bad though. 

    I have a wierd hair question.  I am not completely bald.  I had my hair shaved off but I have quite a bit of stubble left.  Am I out of the woods as far as that goes?  Not that it really matters but I am hoping that my hair will start coming back with the taxol.  My eyebrows seem to be thinning which is saddening me.  I was hoping to avoid that. ( It is kind of wierd to me how I am holding on to that last thing.)

    Thanks for your help ladies!

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  • cmb35
    cmb35 Member Posts: 1,106
    edited January 2009

    Robyn,

    Sorry the AC is kicking your butt, it did the same to me, and yes, the 3rd one was brutal for me too. I'm glad to hear you're feeling a bit better.

    I'm right there with you with the eyebrow thing. I was OK with being bald, but I was completely bummed about losing my eyebrows. They held on until just about the end of chemo. I have two tips for you. First, there is a great eyebrow kit called Anastasia Eyes (or something like that), you can get it at Sephora. It's pricey, but worth it (I still use it today to fill in my naturally sparse eyebrows, so it definitely lasts a long time!) The second is a trick I learned at an ACS Look Good, Feel Better session. Take a brown mascara, wipe most of the mascara off the wand with a tissue, and then sweep it across where your eyebrows should be. Even though you can't see them, there are tiny hairs there. It kind of makes you look like you have eyebrows.

    Hang in there!

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  • GracieM2007
    GracieM2007 Member Posts: 1,564
    edited January 2009

    Robyn, I never lost all of my hair, I had a little left at the very end, and then the new started growing up through what was there.

    I finally lost all of  my eyebrows and eyelashes after my last Taxol.  I remember sitting up in bed one day and seeing myself in the mirror and thinking "that is the face of cancer".  Then I got really mad and said, "No, dammit, that is ME.  That is ME looking back".  I think that's the day I decided to live.

    Hope you get to feeling alot better soon.

    Gracie 

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  • mooboojack
    mooboojack Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2009

    Hi Robyn,

    Had 6 rounds of TCH. Very rough. I drank something called FRS which seemed to help a little. It is all natural. You can buy it at GNC  stores. It is used by elite athletes including Lance Armstrong. Good luck!

    mooboojack 

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