November 2009-Starting Chemo

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  • msmpatty
    msmpatty Member Posts: 818
    edited January 2010

    Cathy...I just completed TX10 of weekly Taxol and my hair is coming in well!   It started growing about 8-weeks after my last AC (about 5 weeks into the weekly Taxol).  It is now really thick and 1/2" long. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for my eyebrows!

    Patty

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  • mabelle
    mabelle Member Posts: 80
    edited January 2010

    Good Morning everyone

    After 15 days straight of rain, the sun is finally shining and it feels wonderful! There are buds on the magnolia tree outside my window, and the snowdrop flowers are actually starting to poke their heads through the dirt in my garden. Things are looking up. Laughing  sort of. Frown I knew it would happen, and it did. I finally came down with the same stomach flu that my kids had last weekend. I was up half the night throwing up and had the worst headache and stomach cramps ever! But... it seems to have run its course and I am feeling a lot better today.

    Toyah - Great news!!! You must be so relieved, and ANGRY that it was all a mix up! A whole lot of anxiety over a mistake.

    Alicia - Congratulations on getting a date for your exchange. I've got to admit I'm a bit jealous as I don't think mine will happen for at least another 6 months. "darn uncomfortable" is a very nice way of describing those #@%*ing TEs.

    Melinda - the photo shoot sounds really cool. Did you know the photographer? It must have been quite scary. Its really brave of you to let it all show like that, but you must be so proud of yourself. I want to have photos of this time to remember what I've been through, but I'm not sure I will be able to do the professional route.

    I'm on TH until April 21, then another 9 months of herceptin after that - so I'm not going anywhere either.

    Cathy - I don't know anything about hair growing back on Taxol, but I have about 8 rogue hairs that are growing on my head... and they are all white!!! I've heard the colour of your hair can change after chemo, but WHITE???? yikes!

    Nette and Cafe - I so hear you on the hot cold thing. I spend most of my night taking off the covers, my hat, and a layer of clothes, then putting everything back on - again and again. I used to love going to bed, now it seems to take more energy than anything. 

    Have a great weekend everyone!

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    Mabelle, sorry you got your kids flu, but glad you are on the mend.

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited January 2010

    Mabelle ~ so sorry you got your kids stomach flu ~ glad you are feeling better.

    Patty ~ sounds like your hair is going good.  Mine is slightly growing in still have many shiny bald spots though.  :)

    I am off to a party for my best friends 12 year old daughter who was just diagnosed with bone cancer. (osteosarcoma)  She starts chemo at my cancer hospital Memorial Sloan Kettering on Monday.  I am devasted.  I went and got her a whole bag of stuff from CVS, the biotene mouthwash, toothbrushes, hand cream, body washes, magazines, playing cards, lip glosses, snack crackers etc.  No child should have to go through this.  She has a long road ahead of her.  Keep her in your prayers please, her name is Melissa. 

    This is sort of her prechemo party with family and friends.  As Monday starts her nightmare doing battle with this Fu*&+#G cancer ~

    Hugs and love my dears...

    Alicia

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    Alicia, you are right..kids should never get this...I hate to see kids suffer.  I will for sure put her in my prayers.

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  • Cafelovr
    Cafelovr Member Posts: 1,534
    edited January 2010

    I'm so sorry, Alicia, about your friend. No child, woman, man should get cancer. It's hard to see helpless children get this. Melissa will be in my prayers.

    I think I've acquired a new SE of this chemo. Last night I really got some nasty stomach cramps that brought me to my knees. Then it started radiating down my legs. My legs have been crampy since then. Gotta love the heating pad! I felt really good since Wed., but BAM...I'm hurtin'!! Just when it's warming up enough to walk in the park. Erg!!! I can barely walk across the floor. Hopefully it will soon pass!

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited January 2010

    UGH Linda ~ I too get that same pain.  It is crippling.  I think it is unfortunately one of the lovely Taxol/Taxotere side effects.  To me it is similar to being in labor but instead of pushing a baby out, I'd like to push my legs off my body !  I do hope you feel better.  I found that pain pills barely touched the pain.  I did better with ibuprofen. 

    Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend with little to NO SE's.  It has been quiet.

    :)
    Hugs ~

    Alicia

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  • Cafelovr
    Cafelovr Member Posts: 1,534
    edited January 2010

    I remember you saying you had that pain. And here I thought I was lucky...LOL. I can handle the aches, but find the spasms to be very painful. How long did they last with you? Doing weekly Taxol, I hope I have time to rebound. Did ES Tylenol Rapid Release last night and Aleve Liquigels today. Not really noticing a change.

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited January 2010

    Linda ~ I get the dense dose taxol every 2 weeks.  I am pretty good the first 2 days after chemo (thanks to the steroids I believe).  Then the pain kicks in for a good 3 days.  I had chemo Monday, yesterday I felt much better and even went to our friends home for dinner.  Today I am making dinner and having my mom over.  I do find my energy level is returning to much better then it was on the AC, but the pain keeps me laying.  ALSO this treatment weight gain has been 3 lbs this week?!  OH MY !  I was good and didn't gain weight for the past 3 treatments.  Even lost 1 lb.  But this week I feel it.  Hoping it is the steroids as my appetite is surely not increased.  I don't think I eat alot at all but imagine laying around isn't helping my metabolism much.  Try a warm bath for the pains.  I am sorry you are having this side effect I know it is not fun and I really feel for you girls on the every week plan.  BUT ~ hopefully it is kicking cancer's arse !!!  :)
    Hugs ~

    Alicia

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  • cat60
    cat60 Member Posts: 61
    edited January 2010

    Today I noticed I have lost about half of my eyelashes !! yeek,  I thought that you didnt loose eyelashes /eyebrows until you are on taxol or off for a month ???  Never heard while on a/c or after...wow , the SE still go on even after being off 3 weeks for my surgery........doing good , its been 5 days since surgery....enjoying the relaxation , being taking care of so special by my husband/boys/friends ........I will go back to PS on Tuesday, hoping to get drains out,,,,,then appt on Friday to BS and Oncologist ......then will know the NEXT plan of action , which is 12 WKS of Taxol with Herception every 3 weeks for a year.........I will not get myself all worried , At least telling myself that...

    This site has been so helpful for me going through Chemo.....

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    Linda, I had the same thing with my first Taxotere, and I was not looking forward to my next, but I didn't get the same thing with the second...just exhaustion..all that to say, perhaps your next will be better.  At least I hope.  I got percocette for the pain, but it made me sick...give your doc a call and see what she says.

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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited January 2010

    Just had an interesting mental process.

    The photographer wants to take pics during chemo. I had a moment of panic. Sure he saw me topless and topless, bald and boobless. But this is CHEMO, this is very personal.

    How weird is that?

    I'll let him, but is does feel very personal, I really hate the process, the smells, knowing what is happening, being in a room full of cancer.

    Very interesting.

    Hope everyone has a minimal side effect week. My last AC is tomorrow! Then onto Taxol and more (and I have my fingers in my ears when you all talk about Taxol SEs, I am enjoying my denial land LA LA LA I can't hear you!)

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  • Mouse6694
    Mouse6694 Member Posts: 88
    edited January 2010

    This time on Taxol day 3,4 & 5 just stayed on my percocet and did a lot better but I knew as soon as I woke up that I had to pop another pill could barely make it to bathroom I think I might need a cane my bones feel like they are 80. But thankfully I get a week break in between sorta I still get Herceptin but thats been just some fatigue. Saw my oncologist last week and started asking questions about my first pathology report from a yr ago and come to find out  my lumpectomy they did came back her+, and I asked her why I wasnt told about this and she stated cause my first cancer wasnt aggressive so they werent concerned hmmmm just the look on her face kinda made me think she was lying. I mean I dont know if I would of started herceptin back then maybe I wouldnt of had to cut my boobs off????? I have just been struggling with this and plan on going for second opinion when all said and done. Of course my dh first response is lawsuit...... it just sucks not knowing and putting your trust in these drs.

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  • Cafelovr
    Cafelovr Member Posts: 1,534
    edited January 2010

    Mouse: You've been doing chemo for a year, and you've just started Herceptin? Her+ is a very aggressive cancer.

    I tried to upload a new avatar of my new hairless do, and I get an error message...invalid image type...HUH? Now I can't get any picture to load.

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited January 2010

    Cat ~ my eyebrows really thinned out after my last AC ~ and eyelashes are definately sparse too.  Rest up and hoping you get your drains out on Tuesday.

    Melinda ~ stay in LALA land, hopefully you will not have bad SE's at all.  LOOK at Michele she is doing pretty good !  I hear you with the chemo.  I hate it soooo much this time next weekend I will be in my totally pissed off I hate chemo pre-jitter mood !!  I think you are so brave doing all this photo documenting thing ~ YOU ROCK.

    Mouse ~ I too feel like I am 80.  My week sounds like it was very similar to yours.  AND grrrr on your oncologist, wtf?!  I think I am with hubby smelling a lawsuit.  THAT is just not right.  Hugs to you...

    Nite all !

    :)

    Alicia

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    You know I think when they give you your pathology report they should give you a book about everything about YOUR diagnoses...detailed info on everything form, Her+, what the hell 'Clear margins" means, ER+/PR+, and all those words you never heard before.  We could google and research our brains out, but sometimes it comes down to asking the right questions..They forget we all new to this whole cancer shit.

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited January 2010

    I wasn't even given my pathology report and only just got hold of it a week or so ago. I'm not happy with how it reads in that it says "extensive LCIS noted" when it refers to the margins it is talking about the PILC agressive tumour not the in situ stuff or so it seems. It's totally amibguous. I am getting a second opinion in Feb. I'm never going back to the breast surgeon - he was a prick. Looking forward to meeting a female surgeon with a view to her taking over my long term follow ups.

    Mouse6694 - lawsuit sounds good to me. I gather from your post you have had a recurrence. An HER2+ cancer is never not agressive - how could they say that. Herceptin could have stopped that recurrence!!!

     Sue

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  • mabelle
    mabelle Member Posts: 80
    edited January 2010

    Linda - I guess you figured out how to successfully uploaded your photo, because the one that's here looks new. I love it- you look beautiful bald and have a gorgeous head!

    Sue - I'm so sorry you've been going through all of this crap. You'd think that our medical teams would do everything to give us all the best care possible, and most especially tell us everything we need to know. Back in the early days of my diagnosis, I spoke with an oncologist about the lack of information I was getting and she admitted to me that standard procedure is to tell patients only the minimum. She said that the majority of patients DON'T want to know all the details and get upset when they get too much information. She advised me to ask questions about everything and to everyone, and told me about how I could request all the information gathered on me (path reports, mammo reports, MRI reports, everything!) I got a big package in the mail about 2 weeks after I made the request, and it helped me to understand the diagnosis so much better. I hope everything works out for you - however you decide to proceed.

    Off to go shoot myself with Neupogen... Yippee!

    Take care gals! 

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited January 2010

    Thanks Mabelle, I'm not terribly worried about the pathology, but if I were the surgeon I would have asked for clarification. My GP says that because it also says "Resection Margins: Uninvolved" that it's fine BUT it's still worth getting a second opinion and hopefully a nicer doctor.

    My oncologist is great - we've known him for 7 years cos my hubby is a patient, so that has been the good part in all of this. He respects our intelligence and lets me ask anything I like. I even told him which treatment I was going to have as I would have refused AC-TH having read up on the side effects to the heart. It turned out he was going to give me TCH anyway, but it was funny to see his reaction when I said what I wanted.

    Sue

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  • Mouse6694
    Mouse6694 Member Posts: 88
    edited January 2010
    Cafelvr No I havent been doing chemo for a yr my first diagnosis was a year ago had lumpectomy and radiation and thats what I am saying they didnt tell me about the her+ at that time and cancer returned in sept 09 same breast. You would think the her+ would of been a red flag and to start herceptin back in feb 09. My breast surgeon had given me my pathology reports but it said her neu testing results will follow and I never got the follow results but my onc had them she looked right at them when I asked her about it.
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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited January 2010

    Mouse6694 - sounds like negligence to me. When the HER2 results came in they should have told you. I guess you can't change things - hope this treatment works for you.

    Sue

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited January 2010

    Mabelle ~ love your new picture ~ 

    Suepen, Mouse... grrr with these dr's.  But sounds like you are both on top of things NOW !!! 

    Hope everyone is feeling good !

    Hugs ~

    Alicia

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  • Cafelovr
    Cafelovr Member Posts: 1,534
    edited January 2010

    Mouse: I'm sorry about the run-around. I'm HER2+++. You should have immediately been put on Herceptin, barring any heart issues. Luckily, the meds work quickly, so hopefully they can start you on it soon!

    Just a quick thought/question...are you sure the cancer from a year ago is HER2+, or is the reoccurance in September HER2+? Just want to make sure things are clear. GOOD LUCK! I'm thinking about you.

    Thanks Mabelle! Believe it or not, I had to email the photo to my mom, download it on her computer and upload it there. Go figure. I am the most computer illiterate person on Earth Cool

     (((Hugs)))

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  • JustmeAlicia
    JustmeAlicia Member Posts: 1,529
    edited January 2010

    LINDA ~ You are so cute bald !!! 

    :)

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  • Mouse6694
    Mouse6694 Member Posts: 88
    edited January 2010

    Cafelvr.. Yeah I had her check both pathology and first was her+++ er+pr+ but most recent was er- pr- and her+++.

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited January 2010

    Morning Warriors,

    So many in the next two days with Tx's.

    Kayh to having her first today,  of 12 Taxol (Tx) , I will wish little s/e for her. One more step of her journey will soon be over! My thoughts are with you every step of the way.

    Also todays other Warriors receiving Tx are:

    Doronette #4 Tx          BoxerSue #3 Tx         Kyasou#3 Tx -

    (((((Healing Hugs)))))        To all our fine beautiful ladies receiving Tx today and tomorrow,

    may each and everyone of you be blessed with little s/e!!!~~

    Tomorrow the 20th those receiving Tx:

    Cafelovr #2 Tx                Kimberly #4  Tx         

    Today still on regular Chemo TX :

    ASTERIX1234

     #4 of 8 (FEC-D) TX just think 1/2 way done now!!!! WOW 8 sure seems like s lot of TX, but you are getting there. I was supposed to have 8, but on my 4th visit my onc said that he was going to just give me six TX of my (AC-FU-5),so maybe you will get lucky today and find out 6 is enough for you also. I will send positive vibes for you.

    Tomorrow I will get my 5th TX, I am already with the jitters, but I am drinking, drinking, drinking. Seem each TX gets a little harder to deal!  as you all know already!!!~~~~~ My last is Feb. 10th, can't wait, except I'm soooooooooo frigging scared to get my port out now. OMG!!!!

    I had so much pain when my port was put in, I'm dreading it coming back out now. I am a friggin chicken. Does anyone know the proper procedure for this being done? I won't be on tomorrow so I've updated smiley for today and tomorrow!

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    Good luck to all the warriors having treatments...go and kick some cancer butt....we are all here for you wishing you a good day.

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  • Cafelovr
    Cafelovr Member Posts: 1,534
    edited January 2010

    Crap! I've just started receiving the bills from xrays, ct scans, mris, blah blah blah. How does one not go into debt because of BC? Does anyone want to share a room at the poor house with me? Ramon noodles for all :)

    I'm still trying for the lottery, girls!

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  • micheleboots
    micheleboots Member Posts: 1,993
    edited January 2010

    Linda, I know what you mean...Our health care is a little different here in Canada,so I only pay for my Neupogen shots and most is covered by my insurance...but I haven't worked since last summer and my money tree stopped growing in the fall...damn tree..I would love to plan a vacation for my family, but this year I fear it will be a staycation...my kids want to know what we will do on our summer vacation, and I have to tell them moms got to work...Man I need a lotto win-fall.

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  • mabelle
    mabelle Member Posts: 80
    edited January 2010

    I'm supposed to be working, but I'm totally putting it off. I've already done 2 loads of laundry and cleaned the bathroom.... I just can't concentrate on anything these days. Anyone else?

    Linda - I know I had difficulty uploading my photos a while back. I discovered that if I made them small (like when you send them in an email) they upload no problem - I guess that's pretty much what you did.  & Best of luck with the lottery!!!

    Alicia - how did your young friend Melissa do with her first treatment yesterday? I hope she's able to keep her spirits up. 

    Good luck to everyone with their txs today and tomorrow!

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