November 2009-Starting Chemo

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  • GrandmaMickey
    GrandmaMickey Member Posts: 41
    edited February 2010

    Have been reading all the posts and CONGRATULATIONS to all who completed Chemo - I'm on Herceptin and Taxol until 4-6-10 - BUT - my onc could not feel my tumor on last visit!  Hurrah!  I'll have an ultrasound on 3-2-10 to check out a lymph node that's "funky" but since the original tumor responded so well, onc isn't worried.  Taxol exhausts me - I'm sleeping so much but I am back to work too so that might have something to do with it - DUH - neuropathy in legs and hands and joint/bone pain but it's a heck of a lot better than AC - Tried the accupuncture and it was no big deal but the thought of more time off from work and sitting still just doesn't appeal to me at this time  Why can't they do it during chemo?  that would be great!  HUGS AND SMOOCHES TO ALL OF YOU - YOU'RE THE BEST

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  • mabelle
    mabelle Member Posts: 80
    edited February 2010

    I should have known it was too good to be true. Oh My GOD ... my legs hurt so much! I woke up this morning, 2 days after my first Taxol treatment, to feeling like I had run a marathon yesterday, really achey. It has gotten worse and worse as the day moved on. I knew there would be bone and joint pain, but I had no idea it would be this bad! I was given a prescription for pain (gar.. something or other) but it doesn't seem to be doing squat! I've taken some extra strength tylonol too, but it really doesn't seem to be helping. I can't imagine how I'm going to get to sleep tonight.

    If anybody has any fabulous advice, please let me know. Right now I feel like chopping my legs off would be a good solution!

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

    Mabelle: Sorry it hurts so much. My onc gave me Claratyne (Claratin?) and Digesic tablets for the bone pain. This has helped but I just had my 5th TCH on Wednesday and I've spent most of the weekend in bed sleeping or groaning. My legs felt like lead. I think I'm just coming out the other side of it. It only lasted 2 days the first time.

    Hugs

    Sue

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  • Sherri_V
    Sherri_V Member Posts: 159
    edited February 2010

    I went to my post-surgical appointment the other day.  My pathology report was in and my dr. actually downgraded my cancer to Stage 1, Grade 1.  I had chemo BEFORE surgery but the chemo shrunk my tumor drastically.  Nice to have good news! 

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  • suzieq60
    suzieq60 Member Posts: 6,059
    edited February 2010
    SLV: Woohoo!!!! for you - that's fantastic!!!!
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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited February 2010

    SLV: Great news! How are you doing with the post surgery stuff.

    Mabelle: I am going though the same thing with the pain. It hit last night, I took an ibuprofen and a warm epson salt bath. It didn't really help. Sucks not to be able to lay down comfortably. I didn't want to take any pain pills left over from surgery, I didn't want to believe it hurt that bad. But I have plenty left over, I may need to  rethink that.

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

    SLV, yahoo...good for you...Love to hear such good news.

    Mabelle. sorry you are going through this...I was like that for one of my tx...I called the doc and she prescribed percoset...now it only helped slightly and made me vomit.  I would call and see what they can do.  They will call it in to the pharmacy for you..

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

    Sherri ~ that is GREAT news.  wo HOO.

    Mabelle ~ yes I too thought taking the legs off would be a good alternative to that darn pain.  I did try warm baths before bed and a pain pill that would usually ease it a bit so I could fall asleep.  Nothing really helped me much so I just groaned through it.  Hope it goes away soon for you.

    Sue ~ Hope you are feeling better with the pain !

    GrandmaMickey ~ you sound good, hang in there !

    Michele, Melinda and everyone else Hi and hope you are all hanging in there.

    :)
    Hugs ~

    Alicia

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  • feistybluegecko
    feistybluegecko Member Posts: 133
    edited February 2010

    HI girls

    well i am now at the other side of Tx 6 (taxotere 2) only two more to go.  Brenda kindly gave me my smile face in advance as low blood counts delayed one of the tx.

    now waiting for the side effects - and onc quite concerned about anaemia which is getting progressively worse.  not sure how it will affect the final 2 treatments............

    Will probably not be able to type again soon as the taxotere is playing hell with my finger nails and tips as well as the neulasta pains.

    hugs to you all

    philippa

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  • mabelle
    mabelle Member Posts: 80
    edited February 2010

    Congratulations Sherri! That is such wonderful news!

    Good luck with the anaemia and the other SEs Philippa 

    Last night was tough... but I got through it. Slept maybe 4 hours in total. Had a cry this morning and I feel a bit better to have let it out. I'll try some of your suggestions like the warm baths and claritin, and give my onc a call on monday to see if there is anything else I can do (if the pain is still there). I read on another board that moving around helps, so I think I'll try going for a walk later today.  Thanks ladies for all your kind words!

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

    Mabelle & Melinda:  I take one Claratin a day (so it must be a 24hr one) and 2 digesic every four hours. It does work. I'm feeling better this morning. Unfortunately we don't have a full bath anymore so I can't go and soak.

    Alicia:  The pain makes me want to take more steroids Tongue out then I could really stir up poor DH.

    Sue

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  • littlebird75
    littlebird75 Member Posts: 120
    edited February 2010

    At 4 weeks post chemo I really, really wish this swelling in my legs would GO AWAY. I don't like taking Lasix because I'm not sure if my muscle pain is from the medicine (Lasix) or the swelling itself. My arms and legs feel as though I've been through a tough work-out and God knows thats the furthest thing from the truth. My kids and hubby have been outside (beautiful day) all day doing heavy duty yard work while I feel like crap, sore, and exhausted from just some simple errands and house cleaning. It makes me feel terribly guilty for not being outside with them - but unable to.

     I want my energy back. I want my hair back. I want to GIVE back this extra weight.I want my sex drive back. and I would like to get OFF this emotional roller coaster.  Amen.

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

    Cindy: What did your onc say about the swelling? Try and keep your feet elevated and drink lots of water. I agree with you, I've had enough of this crap!!!!! and I haven't even finished yet!!!!

    Give them all a hug when they come back inside and be happy you have such a lovely family.

    Sue

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

    Cindy, I am the same...I am not on any meds, so it must be the chemo...my onc said exercise really helps...I guess she has never been through chemo..Someone said they had it for two months after chemo...so I guess there is an end in sight...

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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited February 2010

    Mabelle; Since our chemo schedules are very similar, I wanted to ask you what the status of your hair is. I have a layer a peach fuzz but I see little prickles under there. I think the prickles are growth from inbetween the AC and the Taxol. I wonder what the Taxol will do to my fuzz and prickles.

    I made it through the weekend of joint pain. Since I work in Physical Therapy, it was funny to see me limping worse than my nursing home patients. I think I am going to run out today and buy some kind of massager thingy, these leg cramps are irritating.

    I'll ask the onc if there is a supplement that might help or something he can prescribe for the pain that won't make me sleepy.

    Hope everyone is doing well on the roller coaster.

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited February 2010

    Good Day Warriors

    I do believe we are all making stride on this roller coaster ride.

     My hair is hilhairious!! My husband said put on your glasses and check out your hair. He said it looks like (as you say Melinda FUZZ with pricklies under there), I looked and OMG sure enough I didn't realize it was there. I'm only 2 weeks post last chemo TX's. Then my DH said looks as if your having a bad hair day, I had 1 single hair that was about 1/2" long and it was sticking straight out in the air all proud and stuff. We both had a good laugh.

    I get my first real rad next Tues. I went in for my simulation yesterday. Got all mapped out and tatted. I opted for magic markers though. I didn't want to get tattooed. I told them if I wanted a tattoo I would have gotten one when I went to Daytona many times before and I always chickened out.

    Girls have a great day with little s/e to those still having TX or Tx or any H's. Everyone is almost there. Just hang in till we can get all you MONKEY's over the wall. Hugs and love to all.Wink 

                                          ((((((((((WARRIOR HUGS))))))))))

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

    Brenda: The tatoos are pin prick size (a friend showed me) - you can't even see them unless they're pointed out.

    Sue

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

    Brenda...sue is right..mine are so small and it would save you from being careful not to wash them off..Besides it is cool to get tats now.

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited February 2010

    Girls , girls, girls!

    The tats may be small and they may be cool,

    BUT, remember back when we where talking CHICKENS?    Surprised

    Well, I am one of the biggest friggin chickens there are! No pin pricks for me. If I never see another needle or something THAT COULD EVEN POSSIBLY PRICK ME, then I don't want it!

    I can deal with coloring it in, I'll let DH keep up with the coloring for me. We can even play games on my boobs. Pretend where driving cars or something. Almost sounds like fun!!!!  Laughing

    Love ya girls!!!

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

    Brenda:  Fair enough you can be a chicken Cry I might feel like that when the time comes for me.

    Hubby has his colonoscopy today - lucky I'm well enough to drive him. Fingers crossed!!! They have never found another polyp since the cancerous one 7 years ago - so here's hoping.

    Sue

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited February 2010

    Sue,

    What awesome news. Smile No polps, I have faith and feel good vibes that good news will prevail for your DH.  As well, I hope in that many years we will too have the news,

    NO RECURRENCE, oh yeah that's what we are talking about!!  We "Warriors" can all do the happy dance for that tune !!!

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  • mabelle
    mabelle Member Posts: 80
    edited February 2010

    Melinda - I haven't shaved my head for about 4 weeks now, and all I have is peach fuzz. I don't see any prickles underneath yet. I lost my eyebrows last week and my eyelashes continue to drop out pretty much daily. Other areas - legs & pubes - aren't growing back either. I'm pretty much bald from head to toe.

    Speaking of pubes... remember when I posted that link to "Love Your Muff" soaps and lotions? Well my husband secretly ordered some for me and it came in the mail yesterday! I tried it out this morning, and have to say it is very nice! Smells so good!  My daughter saw the box and wanted to know what a "muff" was... so I told her flat out. Now she wants to try the soaps - so I told her its only for ladies not girls. She responded "so a muff is one with hair?" I said that was right... to which she replied... "then you can't use it either because you're bald down there!!" 

    My muscle/bone pain is finally subsiding. My feet still feel like they're on fire and super tender, but my leg cramps are almost gone. My knees and hips are still achey too. I also got blisters on the bottom of my feet - when I mentioned that to the nurse at my exercise program, she said that blisters are a side effect of chemo. Not a common one, but it can and does happen. Has anyone else experienced this? She told me that one of the women who went through the program last year had severe blisters all over the bottom of her feet - she could barely walk (don't know how she exercised!) 

    Brenda -  good luck with your rads! and have fun colouring your boobs! 

    Hugs to all! 

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

    Mabelle ~ thanks for the laugh about the "muff" conversation with your daughter --- too funny.  Glad your pain is getting a bit better. 

    Suepen ~ hoping hubby's colonscopy is fine.  Mine had one today as well, they removed 1 polyp.

    Melinda/Brenda ~ I too have the fuzz.... mine didn't fall out on Taxol.  I WANT HAIR SOOO BAD.  Guess it will be awhile. 

    Hugs girls. 

    Alicia

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  • doronet
    doronet Member Posts: 342
    edited February 2010

    Thank you, thank you thank you, Suepen and Micheleboots, for the info on the rad. tats.  After reading Brenda's posting opting for sharpie-marks, I began composing my argument for Thurs. and the rad. appt. where they were going to do the tats.  I had no idea that they were so small.  I had already begun to wonder how to cover them up when I had less than a bra's width of fabric there.  Good info to know.  My radiologist only said the tats would be under the bra line, not how large they'd be. (Brenda, I thought  I had the record for being the biggest chicken??!!)

    OMGosh!  Mabelle:  I though the couple of blisters on my feet were coincidence!!!  No idea that they were from chemo.  Who'd a thought??!  Good heavens, can there be anything not attributed to chemo??!!  And I laughed out loud at your daugther's comment about the muff!

    Peach fuzz for me, with some 1/2" hairs interspersed all over.  Very weird.  Oh, and mostly white.  Is much more comfie sleeping without the prickly stubble.  Saw a friend today who said her hair took 6 months to grow back enough to go wig less.  I have until August, then.   Happy Tuesday.  Nette

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

    Nette: The tatoos look like tiny tiny freckles which you wouldn't notice unless they are pointed out to you.

    Mabelle:  Glad the pains are subsiding. I was really brave and only took the pain meds over the weekend.

    Alicia/Brenda: I hope the procedure goes ok too - the prep didn't work very well so here's hoping they can give him an enema at the hospital. He did have a small met in the lung 3 years ago which they amazingly operated on. Lucky it was in a place that could be got at with cameras. So this whole cancer thing is bringing back bad memories for him.

    Got home from taking him to the hospital and had to run to the loo. Speedy shit time!!! At least this time I didn't get constipated - there's a first time for everything.

    Sue

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

    Brenda, as for the markers...what ever floats your boat...sometimes after years of marriage one must get creative in the boudoir...

    speaking of boudoir...what is the site for the Muff stuff...might need to get creative again soon myself..

    Sue, good luck to your DH...

    I am not so worried about my hair growing back as I am about the color...it is gray..have I not been through enough...would it be asking to much to at least get a decent color? 

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  • mabelle
    mabelle Member Posts: 80
    edited February 2010

    Michele - here's the website   http://www.ilovemymuff.com/

    My peach fuzz is all white too! I'm worried I'm going to be completely grey when my hair grows back. I've been dying my hair for at least 10 years so anything is possible. 

    Sue - Best of luck to your husband, I know we're all thinking positive thoughts for him.

    Here's to a great Wednesday for everyone! Cheers! (with anti-cancer pomegranate juice) 

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

    Colonoscopy all clear!!! Thank god that's over for another 3 years. We went out to lunch to celebrate.

    Sue

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  • BrendaSharon
    BrendaSharon Member Posts: 506
    edited February 2010

    Mabelle,

    FUN, Fun, fun, we have to keep a good laugh going somehow through all our roller coaster ride, yippee yee haw.  My DH said the road-map just doesn't lead anywhere, I said it's the road to recovery!!!!  I am positive, I will be negative from now on!

    Alicia,

    I love the feel of my fuzz, but i want my long hair back bad too!!! I think by my august birthday I can at least start with a good punky spiked doo. Can't wait to have at least an inch or so!

    Sue,

    So Glad to hear the good news for your DHSmile He get a smiley too!.

    Michelle,

    I'd say 30 years is long enough to learn to be creative with each other, we are each other's best friend in the world!!~~~~ I am very blessed with my DH.

    Nette,

    As I said I am a chicken, now it looks like I'm a gonna be FRIED CHICKEN, h'mmmmm that makes me hungry. Still not over the dang cravings either.

    ((((((((((WARRIOR HUGS)))))))))) to all and s/e free day to all receiving Tx's

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  • Melinda41
    Melinda41 Member Posts: 672
    edited February 2010

    Suepen: yeah for a clean test!

    2nd taxol/herceptin yesterday. The onc said the joint pain should not get worse, that I will just get used to it. I can take leftover Percocet if it gets too bad and they will prescribe something else if that doesn't work. My WBC are normal, normal normal, not chemo normal. I wasn't expecting that. Had a good Benadryl induced nap yesterday but then slept badly due to the sweats.

    Feel pretty good today and hope everyone else is also.

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