Starting Chemo Feb 2010?

Writer, mebrown, mofend, - good luck with your treatment

Retrievermom, what do we do with these gray white wispy strands? Not liking this at all.. sides are bald.....

Today is a week from my last treatment... My vision is really blurry, Hair what hair no hair.  Last night my fingers and toes were really tingling.very tired... But the vision .... I don't have twitching per say I feel that my optic nerve is moving.... Does that make any sense.

Any way I wish you little SE to NONE!!!!!!

I wouldn't of come this far without all your support.

Have a Nice Day.

Thanks,

Donna

Donna, congratulations on finishing last week! I also had a lot of blurry vision problems the whole time I was on chemo, but my eyes are finally starting to clear up.

My skin looked horrible while I was getting chemo, all dry and wrinkled, suddenly aging me about 15 years. But yesterday I noticed it is finally starting to look and feel normal again. My husband touched my face last night and commented how soft it was again, "like a baby's butt", he said. My neck, my hands, everywhere is finally feeling moist and soft again rather than that dried up old prune look I'd been sporting the past three months. I started Tamoxifen this week, and so far so good. It is known for causing hot flashes, but I've been flashing anyway since February because of the chemo and notice no difference. One month since my last infusion, and I'm finally starting to get some decent sleep, even though the hot flashes still wake me a couple of times per night. 

For everyone getting treatment this week, I hope all goes smoothly. The best day will be when everyone finishes chemo, and until then, my thoughts are with all of you.

Cindy 

I read through most of the posts and was amazed to find out how each drug affects each of us differently.  Does anyone know if the SEs are indicative of how effective the chemo works?  BTW, Happy Mother's Day!

Marie

Yeah Leta17... Good job!

Happy Mothers Day sister's. Enjoy the day.

Hope little to NO SE!
Donna

happy mothers day to all my beautiful bc sisters out there.  hoping there were lots of hugs, cards kisses, calls and enjoyment on this day.

one of our daughers called to say happy mothers day, started crying & infomed us her idiot husband just told her he isn't in love with her anymore & doesn't want to be with her.  but he doesn't want to move out either - as he has no place to go.  i'm so mad right now.  she is such a wonderful girl, with two darling daughters.  i hate for her to be dealing with this.  i know there is never a good time to be told news like this from a spouse, but couldn't he have done it earlier-or later?  what a jerk.

just had to vent......

starting my taxol & radiation on wed.  worried about my reaction to the taxol, but hoping for the best.  getting emotional and losing my positive outlook about treatment.  anyone else feeling like this?  am i just getting tired of all this, or what?  losing my sense of humor too.  didn't use to notice all the cleavage flaunting out there, but now i just want to slap them.

have a good day ladies.

Grdnslve, I'm so sorry to hear that.  Tough for her, and tough for a mom wanting to help her DD in any way possible.  We sure hurt when our kids hurt, don't we?

Donna:  My vision is about back to normal.  I can focus better, have no twitching, and the blurriness is about gone.  I hope yours is doing better, too.  I cover my wispy white hair right now, except at home, and find myself rubbing my head a lot.  My DH does, too.  I always liked the feel of my son's head when I would get him a summer buzz (he has a ponytail and beard now).

Yes, don't worry if your SE's are minimal.  It's working!

grdnslve- Not the positive Mother's Day you were looking for was it? It is amazing how much a crisis for our children breaks our hearts so easily.  Try not to worry about the Taxol.  I went in to the appt convinced that it could not possibly be easier- despite what everyone was saying, but it has been much easier to tolerate. Yes, I too am feeling blue with a negative outlook, and wondering what my problem is- I guess we are just going to have some low points on this very long journey. For me its not the cleavage- its the shampoo commercials with their beautiful long hair, flipping it all around...(not that mine was ever that good before). Anyway- I will be thinking about you and your family, hang in there!

4th chemo last Thursday, a little sickness and nausea and now the fatigue.Started the day on a high, went to the shops suddenly became confused at the cash desk and felt totally helpless. It really does mess you up doesn't it. Thank goodness for the friends and family who do understand and keep in touch without expecting anything in return.

 Leta--congrats on being done. Isn't it a great feeling?

I AM FINISHED!!!!I had my last Taxol today, and then they asked me if I wanted them to remove my PICC line there at the oncs office and I was like HELL YEAH. So they did, I didn't even feel it and now I am a free woman woo hoo. Feel great now (thanks to the steroids) and I know the bone pain is gonna kick in soon but it will be for the last time. My WBC count was 19.1 so I don't even need to go get my Neulasta shot--done with that too, and this week I have to call the radiation oncologist and set up an appt to discuss my upcoming radiation. Got my script for tamoxifen which I start on June 1.Moving right along......

Still have the neuropathy in my hands and feet, worse in the morning and my feet are definitely worse than my hands. I heard that L-GLUTAMINE (an amino acid) may help so I went to the GNC store and got some today. Hope it helps, if it does I'll let you know. My onc said that the neuropathy sometimes takes 6-12 mos to go away. Luckily I have had no eye problems--I feel so bad for you girls who do- I wear contacts and my eyesight is so bad I could never go out in public with my glasses. So I will gladly take the neuropathy as my major SE. I also asked him about my path report...I was so messed up when I was first diagnosed I couldn't think what questions to ask. Turns out I am strongly estrogen and progesterone positive (good thing)  and he doesn't think I need to be tested for the BRCA gene, since I have no family history of breast or ovarian CA. I guess I am just a fluke...

About 3 weeks ago, I started having my emotional breakdown, crying over everything, trouble sleeping, feeling hopeless.....like why am I even doing this; the surgeries, the chemo, etc. Talked to my onc (who I absolutely love) and he put me on Lexapro 10 mg a day, I've been taking it for about 10 days now and I do feel a difference.Although I also am starting to get really bummed at all the hair ads--no change in the stubble on my head, and the Taxol has done a number on my lashes and brows. Now that I am done with chemo, its like I want instant hair!!  But I am reading how many of us are going thru the same feelings right now, and I never thought I would ask for an anti-depressant but hello I have a right to be depressed, I have cancer and I am sick and I am going thru a divorce and worry about my kids and money,etc. The Lexapro really does seem to help me cope a little better. It may be worth a try for those of you feeling the same way.

Grdnslve--so sorry about your daughter....shame she cant kick his ass out....

Wow, I can't believe I am done with chemo.....    thank you girls for all your support and allowing me to vent, and also for sharing your stories.  Wising you all a SE free night. 

hi all, started my 1st taxol yesterday, its definitely much better than AC. slept most of the afternoon and am fine following that, had tingling sensation on both my arms and that's it.

congrats to those who have finished their chemo and wishing all who are still on chemo with no SEs!

It's so wonderful to hear from everyone who is at the finish line for chemo.  I am finished after my fifth - can't do sixth due to platelets, neuropathy, etc., but I'm fine with that.  Will be on Herceptin once every three weeks until February.  Is anyone else on the Herceptin after chemo?  I was just curious how that works with Tamoxifen - have to call the doc.  With the plans changing I have tons of questions re. more surgery to clean up margins (more fun!), timing of Herceptin with surgery, etc., etc.  But, I relish in the fact that I'm done chemo.  This was a really tough round for me and I truly think I might not have made it through another one - too much scary stuff with heart, blood, etc.  My husband was scared to death that I wasn't going to make it through, so we're fine with the decision to end it here. 

 GRDNSLVE - I keep having a funny image of a bunch of angry bald ladies chasing your daughter's husband down and kicking his butt - hopefully he will remember that life isn't all lollipops and sweetness and will commit to what he began with your daughter and grow up.  I hope her courage and strength allows her to get through this.

Hugs to everyone - I am feeling a tad bit better today so the light at the end of the tunnel is definitely brighter.  Mo 

Thanks to everyone for all your support over these months.  It's amazing to believe the bonds we created in this time and I hope to continue to follow everyone's progress.  This all is so surreal for many of us, I think, and we'll look back on this time and be wowed by our awesome selves. 

Lindee629-Congrats on being finished!  That must feel so fantastic!

Mofend-I too will be taking Tamoxifen along with Herceptin and my onc said that I will start that when I am done with radiation, which be on or around 08/01. 

I had #5 yesterday and let me tell you, Emend is my new best friend.  #4 was so horrible that I talked with my onc on Friday and she gave me an rx for emend.  It is a wonder drug!  I thank god for it!  Just one more nasty round of the nasty chemo to go YEAH!!!

Hope everyone is hanging in there and have little or no side effects. So many of us are finishing.  THat is so awesome!

V

Oh, Writer, I'm sorry you're having all that difficulty with your stomach.  The combination of Prilosec and Zantac (2x a day for Zantac) really seemed to help me, but I never had it as bad as you have.  I hope you get some relief and can get back on track.  It's interesting to me about the Tamoxifen and when people are starting it - seems varied so I guess it depends on cell type, stage, etc.  I have no idea when I'm starting until after I discuss all this with the doc in two weeks - I still have to have the surgery to clean up the margins, then recover, then radiation (but herceptin throughout, I think).  Hard to keep track of it all!  I'm just so looking forward to having a routine dental cleaning (did it before all this started), but I was told not to do that during chemo, so I get to schedule it for four weeks after the last chemo - never thought I'd be saying I'm looking forward to going to the dentist, but that's something I'm religious about.  Feel better soon, everyone - Mo

Whew! I've been on quite the emotional roller coaster today! I'll warn you now this is gonna be a long one. I had my mid-chemo tests done last Wed. and met with my doctor today to discuss the results and go over the next 4 rounds (12 weeks) of chemo I'll start after I get back from my vacation.

Last night, I was keyed up and was up late, but my appointment wasn't until 12:30, so I set the alarm for 10:00 this morning and didn't worry about it. I was sound asleep when the phone rang about 8:30...

It was the oncologist's office. And you know how they try to be vague on the phone about stuff? Didn't work. I figured it out pretty quickly. "Well, one of your test results came back a little low, and the doctor wants you to have an MRI before he sees you today. We made you an appointment at 10:00, but it's up at the Heart Center. When you get done with that, just come on in to the office to see the doctor. And, by the way, do you feel short of breath, or sick in any way?" No, actually I was feeling pretty good until you called.

Hmm, "results low" that require an immediate MRI. That wouldn't be the previous MRI or the mammogram. And since when do blood or urine tests require an MRI follow-up? That leaves the MUGA scan, which measures how much of the blood in your heart pumps out with each beat. If your heart is weak or your valves are bad, the "ejection fraction" will drop. Chemo drugs can cause heart problems; and I'm getting this 'mystery' MRI at the Heart Center. Doesn't take a genius to figure out which test result came back low.

I had to have at least a 50% ejection fraction to qualify for, and stay in, my clinical drug trial. That's actually a modest goal that I met easily before I started chemo. So now, my mind is creating all kinds of scenarios. Will I have to be in the hospital? Have some sort of procedure? Ack! My vacation! Double ack - I'll get kicked out of the clinical drug trial, and if my numbers are too low, they won't even let me keep getting ANY chemo!

So, I get the heart MRI, then go to the doctor's office and get vitals and blood work like always, then wait to see the doctor. He walks in beaming. "False alarm! The MUGA scan said your ejection fraction was 34%, but the MRI is more accurate: your ejection fraction is really 67%. So, your heart is fine, and there's no problem with your chemo schedule. Your tumor has shrunk more than 60% from previously, and your blood work is fine. Enjoy your vacation and we'll see you when you get back. Bring in pictures!" And then he breezed back out while I'm trying not to cry from relief and adrenaline crash. God is good. I feel so blessed today.