Starting Chemo Feb 2010?
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Like many of you, I finished my last treatment and now a week later, last of my eyelashes and eyebrows are deserting me (and my nails are looking much worse for wear). Strangely though I've had enough hair on my head remain so that I can (sort of) get away with wearing a ballcap and there's a bit of hair you can see that sticks out the back. Chemo is strange stuff. Last round SEs lasted a little longer Can't sleep though which is a first throughout all this mess.
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Wow, now I'm glad I HAD to have my Port removed halfway thru chemo...there is no way I could keep that thing in me for a year, or 2 years, or forever. I hated it with a passion--couldn't sleep, couldn't wear a seat belt, my shoulder constantly ached.....now its all just a distant memory yippee. Going thru rads, nobody made a big deal about me not having any IV access. Halfway done now--Friday was #17 of 33 yay!! But now my skin is red, blotchy, and itchy--that'll teach me to think I was going to get thru rads unscathed. Ointment is a tad soothing but not much. Oh well, anything is better than chemo so I can handle it.
I can see more fuzz on the top of my head...mostly white but a few dark ones here and there. Still look bald though so still wearing the headwrap things. Have lost ALL of my lashes and eyebrows, crap.....but I noticed last week that I have a few brow hairs coming back and I have baby eyelashes!!! They are only like 1/4 inch long and I can only see them if I am looking into the mirror from 2 inches away, but they are growing!! Also I am starting to get some sparse hair everywhere (great just in time for summer, now I gotta remember to start shaving again). There's a discussion board here called "hair, hair, hair"--I think thats it--and its all about hair loss and when it came back, and what to expect. The girls even post pics of their hair growth, so I found that all very encouraging.
Hot flashes are about the same and I haven't noticed if they are brought on by anything I eat or drink. No pizza? That's a food group at my house. And I can't live without my morning cup of coffee so I guess I live with the HF's. Life's a compromise, right? I can seriously say that one month post-chemo, my only lingering SE is the neuropathy, and I still get winded walking uphill. But I really feel pretty good, and I haven't felt moody or depressed post chemo (thanks Lexapro) but maybe thats because I am still doing rads. I am just happy its over and am wanting to get on with my life.
Leta--great news about the B9 biopsy!!!
Wishing all of you a great day and a SE free week.
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Hello all! Feeling totally normal here (my new normal.)
This week is my busy week-bloodwork, PS appointment, chemo then Neulasta. Gives me something to do everyday at least!
No new side effects-just this damn eye watering and hot flashes. I wake up and my eyes are crusted over from the watering-ugh. Nothing seems to help unfortunately. I'll ask my Onc about it on Thursday, but I'm sure it's just something I have to deal with.
No relief from the hot flashes with the Neurontin-but he said it would take about 3 weeks, and I've only been on it for 2. And no pizza? That's a food group around here as well! And I have to have my coffee when I wake up-yum, that still tastes good at least.
Congrats again to those who have finished! Just 2 more to go for me, and I'll join you. Sorry for those of you going through rads-I hope you come through it with minimul skin problems.
Happy Father's Day to all the DH's...and have a great evening to all!
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Burley I agree about the eye thing it is a real nuisance and sometimes they are so sticky aren't they. I also suffer the hot flashes and my doc will not prescribe anything. She says they will continue when I start Tamoxifen . If I do get a full nights sleep it is rare.
I am on day 5 now after 6th chemo and feeling generally good but know my limitations. I did my first bit of exercise today since 4th chemo as I have been so whacked. It felt good and I even got my bowels moving ! I have gained 12 pounds in weight have no hair eye brows or lashes and my clothes are tight. I have banished all post chemo drugs from sight apart from the injections for the white cells but they should finish on Friday. Looking forward to an illness free future for us all.
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About the port - my onc said no invasive surgeries for 2 months after last chemo. He said I could have the port out then. So hopefully I'll get mine out in August when I get reconstruction.
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Hi all, back from a wonderful short vacation. I feel like a new person. Taste buds and digestive system started returning last week, three weeks after my final chemo. By the time we got to Zuni Cafe for our first meal of our San Francisco vacation on Thursday night, I could taste and eat and have fun. Had my first Herceptin and Avastin last Wed., no noticeable side effects from those. The eye watering is still there but is much better than it was last week. My oncologist said it's from the Taxotere, not the Herceptin, so I'm assuming he's right, since it is a little better.
I shaved my weird whitish baby hair almost two weeks ago, and am sure glad I did. It was creepy looking. Now "real" hair appears to be coming in, slowly but surely. It's darker than the stuff before, so I think it's real. Never did lose all my lashes and brows, and hopefully what I did lose will start coming in soon.
Now that I can taste and eat and have fun, the challenge will be to not gain back the weight I lost in chemo! I'm still a little weak at the gym but am walking a lot and am committed to serious exercise (I've always been active but can get too busy with work).
But although I'm done with chemo, I'm by no means done... seems like we'll never be done. The Herceptin/Avastin day last week took 2.5 hours. Plus an hour on another day for an echocardiogram. Plus an hour to see my surgeon to check the weird bit in my "bad" breast (looks to be a harmless clip, which is what I'd guessed). Tomorrow is a 2.5-hour mammogram (I guess now we have to get the long ones), and Friday is a two-hour consultation with my radiation oncologist, and radiation presumably starts the following week. All this with major work deadlines.
But I don't care, really, because I'M DONE WITH CHEMO! Best feeling ever.
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Writer, good to hear from you again. Yes, DONE WITH CHEMO is a good feeling.
I just started my rads today (6/21/2010), one month after last chemo (5/19/2010). One down, 32 more to go.
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I'm ready to shave my creepy hairs-I've got patches of them, like one side of my head hardly has anything at all on it. And right at my scalp line, there isn't any hair. Weird. I wonder if I'm patchy in the back of my head too.
I figured the eye watering was from the Taxotere. Nice to know it's starting to subside, Writer! Something else to look forward to. It's driving me crazy! I'm walking through the grocery store today with a tissue in my hand, wiping my eyes constantly, people giving me second glances to see what's up with the bald lady...LOL
Good news on the port removal at 2 months-I think I heard that somewhere else. I'm going to ask my Onc on Thursday (if I remember...damn chemo brain!)
Have a great evening, ladies!
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Hey burley -
You talk about having a problem with the taste in your mouth. I've read very few posts of people complaining about it. I've a real problem with it too. So, I'm wondering if you have agood tips about what helps. I was taking 20 mg of steroids with my Taxol tx's but got the doctor to cut me down to 8mg - then 4mg's because I hated the weight gain and other side effects of it. I'm wondering now if the steroids actually helped the bad taste, The doctors don't seem so.
I have sugarless lemon drops and other hard candies to suck on. Biotene Oral Moisturizer and spray. Sometimes I wonder if Tums or Prilosec (sp?) helps. I try just about anything. Anyway, I would like to hear from someone who's had a real problem with this side effect - does anything help?
I just had Taxol #7 today, finished 4 AC txs in April (3 weeks apart). The taste has increased in intensity and length with each tx on Taxol. Any ideas? THX
So happy for you - that your finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ECT
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I haven't had Taxotere for nearly 2 months now, but still have that blasted watery-eye thing. It now has a 'friend' - the half of my eyelashes that haven't fallen out are turning curly, so I'm constantly getting that feeling that something is in my eye. Which leads to even more eye watering, plus bloodshot eyes from getting poked by those stupid curly lashes. If I thought I could see well enough without my glasses, I think I'd try to snip them off. But I can't, so I'm stuck with watery, bloodshot eyes.
The second half of my chemo is Avastin plus A/C. I'm happy to report my sense of taste is returning, so I'm going to blame that on the Taxotere as well.
ECT - I found that I couldn't taste salt except as a weird metallic flavor. Adding more salt to my food didn't do anything but increase the metallic taste. I'm guessing that will fade after you're off the Taxol. Sharp flavors came through best for me: any citrus, mustard, vinegar, pepper, etc. I got thrush while on the steroids - it made my tongue look like it had a white coating on it and my mouth tingled. It was easily controlled with an oral anti-fungal, Nystatin. Good luck!
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ECT- My taste buds are not nearly as messed up as when I was on AC, and I just finished Taxol #9 today. I am doing these weekly- just 3 more to go. I understand that others get a higher dose every other week. My taste issues tend to come and go, and I know it sounds weird, but the best thing I have found is ice tea. If I don't keep hydrated the taste issues seem to magnify. The first thing that starts tasting bad is plain water. Pop follows closely behind. So if I get on some ice tea it almost seems to wash the bad taste out. Like I say tho, my issues are mild compared to what they were on AC. Wine has been a casualty, can't drink it at all right now.
I had lots of problems with neuropathy in the palms of my hands this time and the onc is not going to let me stay on the full treatment if it doesn't improve this week, so Feb sisters, keep a good thought for me this week. I really want to finish this treatment on a strong note, not just taper off the last 3 weeks. Or, heaven forbid, have to add on additional treatments and delay getting finished!
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kshep, you are in my thoughts. I hope you can finish the treatment according to plan - feel better soon!
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ECT-I don't have any good advice as far as the taste buds. Mine have been bad almost my entire treatment, so since mid to late February. My tongue has improved slightly over the past week, and it no longer feels as numb or like it was burned. I can taste anything strong, like pepper, citrus, iced tea, coffee...my latest thing is peanuts. I can taste them really well, and they give me a boost of protein when I don't feel like eating anything else. The taste buds thing is definitely a good way to diet-I find I'll start a food, then give up on it quickly if it has no flavor.
Chemo #7 tomorrow...then just 1 more to go after that! Saw my PS today for a follow up-I was there maybe 5 minutes. My next appointment is for 2 weeks after my last chemo, and we'll talk about exchanging these damn tissue expanders for implants. Yea!!! Can't come soon enough.
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Peanuts gave me instant heartburn. I thought the protein would be good. It took me a few times to figure out the connection.
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I have suffered from heartburn ever since I started on the Taxotere 2 treatments ago-weird ahd annoying. The peanuts don't make it worse at all, thank goodness. I think I'm addicted to them now.
Sitting here at treatment #7. Talked to the Onc about the port and he said we could take it out right away-yea! So my exchange from tissue expanders will happen within 2 months, and the port should be taken out around the same time. Of course, I'll have to verify that with my other surgeon.
Neurontin hasn't had any effect on the hot flashes, but I can't seem to remember to take it 3 times a day. He said for the full effect, I definitely need to do that. Part of the problem is I sleep until 10 or 11 each day (can't sleep at night from the hot flashes), so that puts me behind the game.
My brother brought a huge amount of food last night, and my neighbor is making me dinner tonight. Awesome! It's so nice to not have to cook-or just use the microwave to warm stuff up.
I've gained some of my weight back, probably from the peanuts. No biggie. Taste buds are slightly better-my tongue doesn't feel like I burned it anymore. Hoping that doesn't change after this treatment.
Hope all is well with everyone!
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On day 9 since last chemo and am up and down. Taste I agree remains a problem. My mouth feels like I have eaten too much salt and I cannot taste much at all although I keep on eating and am vey bloated. I had the last injection today for the white count and hope recovery proper can now begin. I really want to get fit but as I am constantly reminded it is too early and I am not up to excercise and dieting.Like all of us I just want to get back to normal. At least we are having brilliant weather at the moment which is a real bonus. This certainly teaches you to make the ost of the good life doesn't it.
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It seems like most of you will be on Tamoxifen, have any of you been told you will be on Femara because you are post men.?
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Feeling fine after treatment yesterday-I usually start feeling like crap on Saturdays. Just in time to miss a party we're supposed to go to! Oh well.
I'm pre-menopausal, so it's a no for me on the Femara. Although with the lack of periods and severe hot flashes, my chemical menopause is raging. The hot flashes were so bad last night, I think the most sleep I got was about 5 hours.
Neulasta today-ouch! Still get it in my arm, and it stings like crazy. I guess it's better than getting poked in my port, though. That hurts.
I hope everyone has a terrific day!
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burley, I get my Neulasta in my stomach; someone here told me to do that because it hurts less. I also took their advice about taking Claritin the night before and about an hour before the Neulasta. I didn't do it the first time and felt like I'd been run over by a Mack truck! Since then, with the Claritin, the achiness is controllable with ibuprofen or Aleve.
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Thx everyone for the tips on the mouth sores and bad taste in the mouth. It's just plain nasty and I guess it just goes with the Tx. Only five Taxol tx's left - YEA! Hope you have nice weekend. ECT
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Burley, I got my Neulasta in the tummy as well and it doesn't hurt much. Hope your SEs are minimal this Saturday.
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I also have my neulasta shot in my stomach, and it is not uncomfortable at all. I take the Claritin a couple of days before, day of and a few days after and really have had very little pain. I have my last AC chemo treatment on the 6th July, I can hardly wait. Hope you all have a great weekend.
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Hi Everyone!
I read how some of you shaved your white fuzzys. I cant bring myself to do it - I am so happy to have hair of any color! My eyelashes and eyebrows are still falling out but I can draw those on with makeup. I can't wait to lose the wig. It is 95 here in Florida and wearing a wooly hat is torture!
I tried both the tummy and the arm for my neulasta shots and it really seemed like it was different with each nurse. One nurse told me if they inject the medicine very slowly it burns less. I don't know...
I hope you all get to the finish line very soon. I finished May 20th and I can say I actually feel good and normal! I have a little bit of tingling and numbness left in my fingers and toes. But I feel good and clear headed.
Take care and keep cool! ; }
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I agree with Sunny, the nurse doing the Neulasta can make a difference. I got my shots in the high rear end so I didn't have to watch. One nurse jabbed me really hard and I jumped and she just laughed and said I had tough skin back there. Luckily, I only had her once.
I finished June 4 and still have eyelashes and eyebrows, they have thinned but they're still hanging on. My ongoing issue is break through heartburn. I've been on an acid blocker since I began chemo but lately everything bothers me. I've been eating chicken, cheese and crackers for the last 2 weeks. Once more piece of chicken and I'm going to grow feathers instead of hair! I also agree that iced tea seems to taste better than other drinks.
Starting rads 6/29 for 33 treatments.
Good luck to all that have treatments this week. Gina
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Gina, there is a June 2010 rads group - join us if you wish to. Good luck!
I started my rads 6/21 and just completed the first week. So far so good.
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When I got my first neulasta shot, I asked the nurse "butt or shoulder?" and she said neither; they wanted tummy or arm flab, where you could pinch it away from your body. One gal was so skillful that I never felt it, but the other times, it burned. And one nurse said it hurt the skinny recipients more, since they didn't have much fat. Good thing I had a bit of a roll to offer!
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For those of you finished with chemo and had gone into 'chemopause', anyone get their period back yet?
Had major anxiety going to the public pool with my daughter this weekend. I met friends there, who were all really supportive of me, but even still, just sporting a white baseball cap on my still mostly bald head, was really tough....way too hot to wear my wig...happy though my daughter had a great time playing with her friends....
For those still trudging through, wishing you few side affects and know that it doesn't take long to come out of the 'fog' once you are through!!
Be well ladies!
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Lleta17 - no period for me yet and if I never get one again, I'll be very happy, after all the bleeding I experienced after my second chemo. I truly don't want it back. You said in your post that you wore a white baseball cap - where did you get it? I have been looking all over for just a plain, white baseball hat with no insignia and not "rapper" looking, either - can't find one. Would love to know where you got it. Thanks!
Hello to all! Starting rads on August 3rd, after a nice vacation - glad to have the break coming up. Really need some hair though - it's growing like crazy everywhere else but on my head! Mo
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faithful - Thanks, I will add myself to the June 2010 rads group. I was hoping to start next week (July) and have another week of normal but no such luck. Actually, the sooner I get started, the sooner I'll be done. Glad to hear that your first week went well!
Leta - I haven't had a period since March and Like Mo, I'm ok with never getting another one. My onc said at my age (49 next month), it's possible that it will never return. However, he also mentioned that some women have gone a year without one, only to have it come back. I hope I'm among those that never get it back! I'm ready to get some hair back, too. I know if just takes time. I wear my wig all week and headwraps on the weekend when I go out. I would have anxiety, too if I had to go to a pool. I think I'd wear a sun hat and pray that it didn't blow off. A baseball hat would be safer but I understand how hard that must have been. I've been to a couple of exercise classes and I have to wear an exercise cap. The instructor is a friend and an 18 year survivor but I was still self conscious. Gina
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mofend - I found a white bball cap at Sports Authority, it is nice and lightweight! Rads so far has been easy in comparison to chemo. My radonc said to mosturize the treated area, so I picked up some of the Fruit of the Earth Aloe and Cetaphil mosturizer.
ginadmc - exercise classes have been tough as well, I have been doing more at home on the treadmill. When it was cold outside the exercise scarf was perfect, now that it is so hot, I'd rather not have anything on my head
!!I just bought a nice rimmed sunhat and paired with sunglasses, I almost pass for a movie star incognito
!! I am ok with not getting another period, but at 41, I am thinking it will return..argh!!
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