March 2010 Chemo Start

Here I am during my 3rd treatment today.  I'm smiling because they got my IV in on the first attempt!!!   I was very well hydrated, with no caffeine at all for 36 hours.  I also used a really nice heating pad on my arm for an hour prior.  (I had it on for the drive down and while waiting.)  I also took a Xanax before leaving the house. 

I had one of the nurses who had attemtpted the IV placement and she remembered me.  She felt my veins and was not comfortable she would be successful so she got another nurse who was a little older, and she was awesome and got it pretty easily.   She used the vein on the top of my forearm that you can't see but she could feel.

Anyway, it was a MUCH better experience than the last time!  I'm still hoping my SE this time are not too bad, like after my last one. 

lorrhaw I'm sorry you are having such a hard time this tx, but glad you are probably through the rough patch.  Hang in there!

Hello all!

Well, I am finally feeling more like myself instead of a bloated Uncle Fester...the tears are less, the itching is gone, the horrible horrors have seemed to have disappeared. 

I am slowly coming off the prednisone...at 20mgs today and tomorrow, then 2 days of 10mg, then 2 days of 5mg....I am no longer on any antihistamines, and will be starting with the allergists on the 19th of May.  I see my Oncologist on Tuesday the 11th and will find out where I am heading....I have only had 2 tx's of the Taxotere and Cytoxan and do not know what will happen until I see him.  It has been a very bumpy ride....

I wonder if he will recommend me skipping chemo, i wonder if he will recommend I start again, I just wonder.....Tuesday seems soooooo far away

Hey all - just turned the corner back to feeling OK after #4 on Tuesday.  Nausea and fatigue hit me harder and longer this time.  I hope I have it in me to do two more 'cuz I don't wanna... (yes please I'll have some cheese with that whine LOL).  Did manage a 1 mile walk this morning but it took me half an hour, was real glad I got out though, bundled up against a cool breeze.  Hope everyone has a good weekend with minimal SE's.  {{hugs}}

Lorrhaw- As you know, you and I have chemo on the same day and the same chemo. My SE's hit on day 3 and 4 with day 3 being the worst for me. This session wasn't as bad for me as session 2 but bad enough all the same. I am also a bit scared about 5 more treatments to go but my husband reminded me that May 24 (4th treatment) I will have reached the "halfway" mark! I'm very excited about that. It is hard to believe how fast chemo is flying by. I mean, it feels like time is standing still while going through SE's but on the other hand, I'm amazed to be halfway through all ready! At times it has been hell but I try to remember the good things that have come out of this so far like- I LOVE NOT HAVING HAIR!! It takes me 5 minutes to shower, dress, and get out the door! Amazing. Another thing I've done is used cancer to my advantage- for example, I took my mom and sister to lunch and the place was crowded and we didn't have reservations so I went to the counter and told the guy I had cancer (pulled off my head scarf to prove it) and that I couldn't be in crowds and if he could please seat us immediately. Needless to say, we were seated within 2 minutes! My mom and sister couldn't believe I did that but hey, I say use cancer if you can! But seriously, you and I are almost done. It won't be long now before we both can put this behind us. One day it will just be a distant memory.

Hi everyone,

Sorry I've been off-line this week. I had a busy work week and managed just fine, but this time around (3rd), my week 2 has been much less predictable. During Cycles #1 and #2, once I had turned the corner, I remained pretty good until the next round, but that's not how it's going this round. I had a couple days of nausea/low energy and a few days of feeling almost 100% - but not following a progression. I don't know how I'm going to feel from one day to the next.  What's up with that??

Decadron -  I get it with my drip on day 1, and take it day 2 and 3 - prescribed for nausea.  During my mid-cycle check up I talked about feeling weepy day 4 and 5. My onc nurse remembered that I had said the same thing during cycles 1 and 2 (she keeps meticulous notes!). She thinks it is the withdrawal from the steroid, so she is cutting the decadron in half for the cycle 4.

Ativan - I was also prescribed Ativan for nausea, but doc suggests taking it for the insomnia.  Anyone on Ativan??

Water retention - I get it in my feet, giving me "cankles", I put my legs up the wall and drink more water.  The morning water with lemon is a great suggestion - I remember that from one of my health kicks through the years.

AWS/Cording - coming along - PT and exercise help alot.

Bum veins - I have a port, but the reason is that I have non-existent veins and have had a few "blown" veins. I still have a bad vein from my bone scan (pre-port).  They take awhile to recover.

I had a tiny mishap in the kitchen. I burned my forearm pretty bad, though healing nicely. The funny part was that when I opened the oven to get the bread out I remembered reading something awhile ago about being careful about your wig catching on fire. I panicked and thought about my head ablaze - I jumped back and burned my arm.  Silly, I know, but crazy thoughts do run through my head sometimes.

It is a gorgeous day today, I have a list of things to do, I am willing myself to get going, but it just went noon and I am still in my jammies. Maybe I'll try a ginger ale!

Peace out, Marilyn 

Great photo horsedoc!

Hi everyone,

Just checking in. I'm on day 3, oh lovely day 3 after tx #3. So far this one has been easier for me, maybe because it's the first time I didn't have an allergic reaction to the taxotere. They pre-loaded me with so many steroids and benadryl and ativan I thought I was gonna bust. But finally, no reaction.

Anyway, just wanted to let you all know I'm thinking of you, but it's about time to lay my head back down...

hugs,

toni 

Hello all,

I am feeling like total cr*p today.  Running low grade fever, bone aches, tired, diarrhea ... this is day 5 for me (felt this way since day 3 getting progressively worse) and I want to just crawl in a hole and cover myself up. I'm sick of taking pills for the fever, pills for the pain, water and cranberry juice to keep me hydrated, sick of the on and off nausea, sick of being so tired I can't even leave the house, sick of being teary eyed, SICK of being sick!! I wonder how long it will last this time? Based on last time, I probably have at least a few more days of misery.  My husband is so worried about me, the kids avoid me and the cat is afraid of me.  I have no reason to cry.  I have only one more treament but like many of you ... wonder if I can do even one more?

Sorry to be such a downer.

Charley and Frosty and anyone else feeling crap - hug. This awful bloody time will one day be a memory only, and just keep venting here. I'm coming out of my short tempered zone now thank god, I don't know if it's the steroids, the chemo, or early menopause symptoms - or a combination of all the above - I'm going to have a chat with my onc about it.

The biggest marathon we'll ever do. Time for a little breather, and I'm making the most of the good days this cycle.

Lisa xx

Charley and hereandnow; Sorry to hear you are having such a tough time with this treatment.  Remember, this is your life's Olympics and you are so darn close to the finish line!!!

lorrhaw;  Play that 'cancer card' as much as you want.  If we have to endure all of this sh.t then we should be able to take advantage of it. 

I'm off to my 3rd AC tomorrow and hoping that the cumulative effect doesn't hit me too hard. 

Happy Mother's Day to all! Heather

Hi everyone!  I am 5 days out from my #4 and just today, the bad fog fades and I am able to sit still and write.  I am DONE! I did my 4th of 4 and whoa, just can't believe it.  When I got out of the chair for the LAST time, I turned back, took a long look at that chair and said (in my head, of course), "goodbye, I'm not ever coming back".  Forward march.

To all the ladies struggling today and to those that have more treatment coming their way, nice gentle hugs and know, you will be done with this soon.  And oh, that is gonna feel so good!

By the way, some of my nails are turning black. Anyone else?  Only means to me that the chemo reached to my fingernails and for this, I am grateful.  Go chemo go! 

Hello all - Better today.  No fever so far. So I'm looking forward to a better day today. Thanks for letting me vent ... right ... like you all had a choice! Thanks for all your encouragement.

EZH - Congrats on being done! Whew! I'm sure that is a great feeling. I heard that losing your nails was a SE of taxotere. Sorry you are dealing with that.  I have one more treatment and have not had that SE yet ...

Heather - Awesome that you did RFC! What a great thing to do on Mother's Day!  I have done it over the past 5 years or so ... in memory of my mother and in honor of all my other relatives that have had BC.  This year I am going to be doing it as a survivor. Strange that I will actually be wearing the pink shirt. Our race isn't til Sept so there should be plenty of time to organize my team. ;-)   I'm feeling better already!!

Gentle hugs to all,  Charley

Heather--congrats on doing the RFC!  A friend of mine (she's from NJ) was in the same one, and she sent me a text as soon as she got done to let me know.  Good luck with your 3rd tx; I had my 3rd 3 days ago and so far I'm doing ok.  (About the same as last time, which was better than the first!)

Just crawled out of chemo fog (day 5) and I am so excited to read about people's progress! I remember when none of us had started chemo. I know for several of us, it's not the relatively short 4 doses like mine, but still, it's unbelievable how far we all have come. Go Marchers !

I feel pretty good right now considering. I don't know if it was a different reaction to the neupogen than I usually have or if I got some germs, but I spent yesterday & today on the floor. Yes, literally, for some of it. Glands so swollen, where I didn't even know I had glands and sore throat and just too shaky to walk much. I'm thinking it's the neupogen because a few hours ago, I just felt more stable.

Talked to the mechanic today and he started fixing my car. $6,500 worth of damage I did. I am so grateful I have good car insurance, and that they are repairing it. There's no way I could afford another car right now. Be careful sisters before you get behind that wheel! I woke up really foggy that day but thought 'I'm in week 3, it's nothing.' Just take care of yourselves OK?

hugs, toni

Hi everyone -

I am TIRED.  So tired...  Week two after treatment is horrible for me and I wish I could just sleep through it.  And it's frustrating how everyone is so supportive when I'm feeling fine but when I start feeling down, nobody wants to hear it.  Sigh.

In other news, my brother and his family have invited me to NYC with them the weekend after my last (?) chemo treatment.  I'd really like to go, but I'm worried that I won't be feeling well enough to keep up with them.  I don't want to let cancer/chemo control my life, but I have to be realistic about what I can and can not handle.

Lisa

2 weeks after third TC treatment - Have not posted in a while.   Same side effects as first treatment, only the side effects seem to last a little longer. My last TC is next Wednesday and I am so excited.  I find it's a little scary also.  I seem to feel better about the cancer when I am actively fighting it with chemo.  I will be off everything for about three weeks and then begin the radiation.  The battle continues....

The only complaints that I have right now are slight tingly feelings in my fingertips and lack of breath.  Frosty, I read where you walked miles----I have a hard time with just walking around the block.  At each treatment or neulasta shot, the nurses check my lungs and say that they are perfectly clear and yet the least bit of exertion leaves me gasping for breath. Does anyone else experience this????

Wishing everyone a great tonight and tomorrow!

PS - Changed my profile picture.  This one was taken on Saturday at the Komen Race for the Cure.  My family formed a team in my honor.  It was a wonderful experience - inspiring, enjoyable, and very emotional!