April 2010 starting chemo

Char and DancerMel28 - what kind of reaction are you having to the Taxol? Just want to know to be prepared for my first one this coming Monday.

I am sooooo nervous - I just don't want to do this anymore! Wha wha, I know we all feel this way but I just have to say it now and then! ;-)

I hope everyone else is doing well - this forum has been slow this week! Hope everyone has a great Fourth with little or no SE's!

Hi all, I am new to this group...and to writing on a forum in general.  I was diagnosed April 9 and started chemo April 21 of this year.  I just finished my last dose of AC yesterday and start Taxol in a week and a half.  I am nervous about the new drug.  I am a nurse and work on a pediatric Hem/Onc unit but we don't really give Taxol.  I felt prepared for the side effects of the Adriamycin and Cytoxan, but I am a little anxious about the Taxol.  Any tips would be welcome.  (For those interested, surgery after Taxol then 6 weeks of radiation).

Also curious to know if anyone else in the forum has young children and if you are doing anything regarding fertility?  I discovered the tumor myself because I was still breastfeeding my 11 month old.  We had plans to have more children and hopefully still have that option with the monthly Lupron shots I am taking. 

Thanks for letting me join.

Meredith

Char - SE not too bad overall.  My second round was the 'worst' as in the only time I've had nausea so far.  Have learned must keep on top of the constipation!  First round had a rash but cream cleared it up and haven't had anything like that since.  Main issues have been with mouth - not sores as such but just very sensitive and there are days that nothing tastes right which makes it hard to drink and eat.  This round had 3-4 days where the only thing I could drink was Pepsi everythign else tasted like dirt!  Nails are starting to get a bit flaky - not lifting off but just break easily.  Got really dry skin too - moisturising like crazy - and my eyes get dry also so eye drops are my best friend! New SE this round has been blood noses but that seems to have settled a bit now - they said I can't blow my nose so I end up with a bit of dry blood up my nose still but not having the bleeding as such anymore. I've found overall that I've just had a heap of 'little' things but have managed to get thorugh it all and have 2 good weeks out of the 3 so it's been a better experience than what I was expecting (dreading!!) before I began.

Kad22 - I'm on Taxotere which I hear is in the same family as Taxol but is different from my understanding.  I react within a couple of minutes of it starting through the drip - get an awful feeling in my chest, heart beats fast and I go bright red!!  Once they stop and give me extra steroid and phenergen wait a bit to calm down, it restarts and I'm fine! So weird - almost as if my body goes - hell no you aint putting that poison in me but then realises it doesn't have a choice so shrugs it shoulders and soldiers on haha.

Merideth - I'm having Zoladex shots monthly which I hear is the same sort of thing as lupron.  I too am hoping that ovaries survive all this as I haven't had kids yet and was actually trying to start a family when I got dignosed putting an end to that for now.  I was totally freaked out when I saw the onc and she said 5 years of hormone therapy so can't have kids til after that - but saw the fertility specialist 2 days later and she said generally it's okay to stop after 2 years (PHEW!!!) to try for a baby so fingers crossed it's all okay!

Hi all, had my 3rd of 4 Taxol yesterday and hopeful that the much better reaction to it than A/C continues!

mmcmahon - welcome to the group, the club no one wants to join as raerae said! LOL I thought A/C was going to kill me, and while Taxol has it's funky little side effects and more muscle/joint aches and pains, I LOVE that overall sickness/weakness/fatigue which was the worst part of A/C for me is far less and far shorter. They do say most people have an easier time with Taxol, so hopefully that will be you too!

raerae - I hate Benedryl! Like saralmom, my reaction to it has been those crazy restless legs during what is now a marathon length treatment with Taxol, along with what I find to be an unpleasant drowsiness as compared to the very pleasant one with Ativan. I highly recommend the Ativan. I've been having it during treatments since my second A/C when I was crying from nerves before it began (my first A/C was horrible and I was fearful, so they drugged me so they wouldn't feel as bad..haha!). I didn't even know what it was before that, but now I ask for it every time, awesome stuff, so if it will help with the racing heart, absolutely do it!

My radiation consult is scheduled for 7-8, ugh. Has anyone had theirs yet? I'm primarily wondering how quickly I can finish my surgery - switching out tissue expanders for implants - after it is over (I've heard everything from 3-4 weeks to 2 months). At this rate, 2010 is basically going to be a lost year! So ready for this all to be over with so I can make lots of travel plans! I've been up here mostly alone all through this, and think that once I can get to travel and see family that can't travel due to age, etc., I'll just burst into tears from relief at even the perception that I can take a few days/weeks to not have to feel I'm the one who has to take care of everything!

Julia - I am with you about 2010 being "the lost year" and not being able to travel.  I am lucky that my family and friends all live around here but I do travel for work and had to manage around that.  So now that I am between chemo and radiation - I am on a marathon travel schedule.  Have also started to plan some vacations.  I hope 2011 is a better year for all of us.

#5 of 6 chemos DONE!  One left, then 11 Herceptins.  No rads, thankfully.  Took a two hour nap this afternoon, still a little tired, throat starting to hurt, getting queasy.  I wish this was as bad as it got, but I know the bad stuff is coming between tomorrow and Monday.. Glad this is a three day weekend.  Happy 4th of July!!!

Having MUGA scan this Saturday.  First one I had before started chemo was at 59%  We'll see if 5 Herceptins has done any damage.

Here's a funny little quirk I am having...occassionally having the eye twitches, but EVERY time I sneeze , one of my eyes will twitch uncontrollably for about 10 seconds after.  Starting to drive me crazy.

Best of luck to everyone having treatments this week.   {{{HUGS}}}

Jennifer

Hi,

Jan - Congrats on finishing your chemo!!  That is awesome.   

Jennifer - Good luck with your MUGA.   

Like Julia123, I had my 3rd of 4 dose dense Taxols today.  Went okay.  Just had drowsiness from the Benadryl.  I feel terrific (no nausea, no fatigue, no anything) but my labs were a little off this time.  Low potassium and slightly abnormal liver function.  Not sure of the numbers, etc.  My onc said it was expected with Taxol.  I asked if there was anything I could do, and he laughingly replied to eat bananas.  I guess he wasn't kidding, but really, there's apparently nothing that can be done except to plow through and try to finish on time.  Hopefully my labs won't be worse next time so as to delay my final Taxol.  I am sooo looking forward to being done!

Not sure when rads will start after chemo.  I am doing basically the max rads (6 1/2 weeks with a boost), which if I understand correctly, has more to do with my electing a lumpectomy rather than mastectomy, and my two positive lymph nodes.

Like all of you, I have been calling 2010 the lost year, and the year I don't care to repeat EVER, and even though I expect to be done with treatment by September, there's still the waiting for hair growth, returning back to work, and basically adjusting back to "normal" for the remainder of the year.

Take care all and have a good weekend.

~Julie 

Dancer - So happy to hear that you got through the last chemo with such good outcomes.  I am out two weeks from my last treatment and have a couple of new side effects.  Can't wait for them to pass.  Will be starting radiation on July 14th.  Good luch with your rads.

It's great to see that some of our group are reaching the chemo finish line.

Congrats to Char2010, Arubajan and DancerMel!  Before you know it, we will all be able to say "We're Done"

Dancer - the new side effects are:  watery eyes (and eye lids are continuing to twitch but less than they did after 3rd treatment), hoarse voice, splochy areas on my hands/wrists - look like track marks or burns.  I can understand the right hand since that is where the chemo was administered, don't get the left hand.

SGJ05-   Yes, I feel like I've been run over by a truck much earlier now.  With #1-3 I didn't start feeling bad until day 3 and 4-6 were the worst.  Starting with #4 I was tired the same day and started feeling bad on day 2.  Today is day #2 and it's 7:30 and I'm ready for bed and have LOTS of nausea.  I'm counting down the days until July 22 @ 8:45 am when I will start the very last one!!!

Do most of you have to have rads?  I guess I'm lucky to have had clear margins and no lymph node involvement.  I can't imagine having to have rads after all this chemo.  My heart goes out to all of you that have to endure rads, too.  Also, I had surgery first...did most of you start with chemo then surgery?

Happy 4th of July, Americans!!! Everyone have a great weekend with as little side effects as possible!!!

Jennifer

I will be having rads after chemo.  I had a lumpectomy with SNB, then Axillary Node Dissection in February.  The radonc told me I will be having 16 treatments, starting 3-4 wks after chemo is done on August 10.  From what I have been told, chemo is the real marathon, rads should be a breeze.  Here's hoping!

Best wishes for a SE free weekend for all of us.

SGJ05 and toughmom,

I had chemo, surgery BMX, and another round of chemo...my margins were clean, my tumor was under 5cm(just barely at 4.5) and no node involvement.  When I had the radiation consult.  I was delighted to find out I didn't need it.  All of the Drs. from day one seemed to think I would need it.  The Radiologist Onc said my benefit from having rads would only be 1%.  Thank you God for No radiation needed!

I finished my last round of Chemo two weeks ago.  Now I am having a MUGA next week.  Then, I will be starting herceptin.  I am getting nervous.  With every new phase I tend to get nervous.  Have no idea what to expect.

 I too, think of this year as a lost one....I hate to wish time by, but I do!  What is normal anyway?

Karen...regarding hair...The only place I didn't lose my hair was on my legs...and I think it stinks I have to shave my legs....What is up with that?

Have ha wonderful and safe Holiday my friends....enjoy the time with your family and friends...I am praying that all of you have a SE free day to make wonderful memories.  Happy 4th.

Em

So happy for all who are finishing chemo!  I think I said this before, but as some of us April girls finish, it gives hope and inspiration to those of us still going - it will end soon!!  I'm with kad and toughmom and Taxol will go to the end of August - the 24th to be exact - but who's counting?!?!  ME! 

I am another who will have rads after chemo.  Mainly b/c I had a lumpectomy (first) and they kind of go together, but also b/c like dutchgirl I had a SNB and an axillary dissection with 2 positive nodes ( sentinel nodes only) and that sealed it I think. I'm told I'll wait about 3-4 weeks after the last chemo before starting rads.  And I too have been told it's a breeze after chemo.  The main thing is just GOING there every day for 6 weeks (I think?).  But luckily I live 7 minutes from the hospital.  I feel so bad for those of you who have inconvenient commutes for treatments.  So all in all I'll be done in November - and am planning a trip for sure after that.  

I agree with all who feel like 2010 is a lost year - and I really feel like this summer is kind of a figment too- even though I'm still doing great with Taxol and Herceptin.  Main SE are runny nose - and I did have very watery eyes at first, but it seems to be getting better.  I am definitely losing eyebrows and lashes now - such a bummer - was hoping to be spared that. Silly hopes....

I'll have  MUGA this week, and am hoping that all is well with that - I am petrified that I'll be one of the few that can't continue with herceptin b/c of heart issues.  Even though I have no reason to think that.  Mind plays tricks.

Good news last week - had my routine (that sounds funny now) mammogram on my unaffected breast - all looked normal - also had an MRI of both breasts in Feb.  So now I just need to get both breasts on the same schedule of MRI every 6 months and mammogram every 6 months.  One of those inconveniences of breast conservation - mammograms.  And always wondering if I did enough surgery-wise...

Happy 4th to everyone else in the US - and hope everyone is feeling well this weekend.

Sara