May 2010 Chemo

Hi nanaof2 - I am only having 4 rounds of TC so I'll be done on July 13th. Hopefully you will be done after 4 as well. I wonder why they wanted to do 6 in the first place for you? You should ask what benefit they expect to get out of the add'l 2 treatments.

I've gained about 7 or 8 pounds so far since chemo started (but I had lost 15 from the stress of waiting for results) so I'm okay with how I am now - although I would not mind dropping another 5. I wonder how much is water weight as I do feel bloated at times. As long as I take probiotics I feel better. Hopefully I will not always need to take probiotics to feel better. I am also starving all the time. I feel like I could just eat and eat. Nothing in particular - just everything.

JennyB - CONGRATULATIONS on being done. I know this was a really rough time for you but it should be all uphill from now on. I will be starting rads mid-August. I am supposed to go in for my rad simulation on Tuesday but I am having insurance issues (Aetna is having a difficult time with my health care provider or vice versa) so the coverage that was previously in-network is now being considered out of network unless I can get Continuity of Care which should not be a problem, however until it is resolved I will not schedule anything and find I am not covered. I still have time so even if I don't get my simulation on Tuesday I should still be on schedule for a mid-August start.

x-raygirl - welcome to our group!

Leanna9 - thinking about you and hoping your hair was able to hold out for you!

To all of you guys on your next phase of chemo - good luck!!! And here's hoping for less side effects this time. Happy 4th!!

Greetings Everyone,

I have been reading all the posts and I want to thank everyone for all the info you have shared.  I started chemo on 5/27 TC @ 3 weeks x 6 to be followed by rads and Femara.  I will be 62 on Monday.  I had just given my notice at work that I would be leaving so I could have more time to spend with my grandson and travel this summer.  Two weeks later I found the lump, only 11 months since my last mamogram.  This is not the summer I had planned but at least my husband and I are both retired so my health is our main priority and he is available at all times.  I have spent a lot of time reading and researching.  I had a lumpectomy on 4/28.  At the time I was a canidate for the internal radiation therapy.  There is some info on it on the breastcancer.org under internal radiation.  My doctor uses the Mammosite.  The balloon is placed where the lump is removed within 2 weeks of surgery.  It is filled with saline and a small cather opens to the outside where the radiation is placed twice a day for 5 days.  Then during surgery they found the cancer had spread to 1 node so I was no longer a canidate for the Mammosite.  It can only be used when the cancer has not spread.  I then became a canidate for chemo and full radiation.  I started chemo 5/27.  I had no nausea thanks to the wonderful drugs, and no reaction to the TC thank goodness.  I was shakey and weak for 2 days while on meds and then I had noodle day where I was so weak I could hardly get around.  It took about a week to begin to feel better then I had a reaction at the IV site so I had a port put in before the second treatment.  I had also read on the site about some of the awful things the Tax can do to your nails so I looked into the Elasto-gel hypothermia gloves for chemo.  I have 2 pair and I freeze them and change them after 45 min.  I use them 15 min before, during, and 15 min after the Tax.  My onc has a fridge in the room and I am welcome to store the gloves until I need them.  So I went into my second chemo armed with my "happy hands".  Next time I am going to try the ice in the mouth to see if I can save some of my taste buds which I seem to destroy each time.  They seem to return just in time to be destroyed with the next treatment.  Second chemo I was more tired than the first but still no nausea.  They gave me the Neulasta shots to give myself and I did have 2 nights of back pain but pain killers took care of that.  I have gone completely organic.  All my chicken, eggs, cheese, milk, and meat are harmone free since my cancer was er positive.  I am also avoiding soy.  On the days I feel good, I prepare extra meals and freeze them for the days I don't feel as well.  It isn't easy, but I think I am doing much better than I thought I would.  I had read on the site about the chemo bag and I did my shopping and had my bag ready to go.   I have found my new favorite candy--country time lemonade hard candy.  They are nice and smooth and the lemon is refreshing.  We are staying put for the holiday weekend, but are planning a trip to Florida to visit our son on another good weekend.  I have already found an organic store near his house that even serves organic meals.  I think when I feel good that I appreciate it so much that I actually put it out of my mind how bad I really felt just such a short time ago.  It will all come back when it starts all over again next week.  Next week will be number 3 so I will be half way through.  Every day I get up and get dressed and put my makeup on. I thought loosing my hair would be really tramatic for me, but it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.  I had it cut real short just before chemo.  It started falling out on day 14 and I just brushed it often so I wouldn't shead all over the place.  I never shaved it and I still have a few short grey hairs that were too stubborn to leave.  It gives me something to shampoo each morning.  It looks horrible, but it is still my hair.  I just wear a scarf.  I have a wig, but haven't had an occassion to use it yet.  I want to thank you all for sharing and helping me through this crisis in my life.  I loved the stories of the panties in the office and everyone wearing a scarf to work, and the parties at chemo.  I have cried and I have laughed as I have read your posts.  I just may take cup cakes to chemo next week.

Linda 

nanaof2 - I have been taking acidophilus. I'm not a good 'health food' person so I can't give you information on alternatives but it's just a pill once a day.

wellsey66 - welcome! I'm glad our group has helped you out. It sounds like you are doing pretty well. Thanks for the inspiration about organic. I REALLY need to do that as well. I'm ER+/PR+ and my eating habits prior to BC were not great. It doesn't help that I don't cook but I need to make a much better effort to go to Whole Foods and by organic stuff. It's really awful what they inject our food with now of days.

Hey everyone, sorry that I haven't posted in a while!  I was too busy enjoying my good weeks.  I guess that is the advantage of being up here in Canada - longer time (three weeks instead of two) between treatments means that life has a chance to get back to "normal" before I have to go do it again.  I just had my 3rd treatment of A/C on Friday - one more to go before I get 4 of Taxotere!  Which really means just one treatment away from being half way done.  

More good news...I asked my onc's nurse over the phone a few weeks ago about getting a port instead of the PICC line.  She said that she would look into it, and boy was I ever happy on Thursday when I got the appointment letter in the mail for getting the Port put in!  I was even happier on Friday when my chemo nurse asked if I wanted the PICC line out right there, as I will be getting the port before my next round.  Whoo Hoo!  Normal bathing - I can't wait!  Hopefully I can take my little guy for a swim before the end of summer too.

I'm really tired now, and have had more nausea.  I threw up for the first time on Saturday, and again this morning.  My anti-nausea meds don't last from bedtime to breakfast.  I'll have to set my alarm to go off a few hours after I go to bed so that I can take them and they will last longer.

I'm sorry that so many of you have had so many side effects.  No fun.  I ended up in the ER after my first treatment with an infection and had to get antibiotics asap.  They told me that the antibiotics would upset my stomach, but I already have Crohn's disease, so I didn't even really notice much of a difference

My DH is busy dropping off our 2 year old at my parents house (2 hours south) so I don't have to take care of him during my worst days (4&5).  My parents have been amazing!  I've had a harder time with my in-laws.  They just seem to get my hackles up.  My mother-in-law keeps reminding me that I should call her when I need her (but she doesn't drive and lives 2 hours away) and that she gave up her paper route for the next few months so that I should call her.  How do I tell her that having her here is more stressful on us?

Good luck ladies!  I might be the last one left doing chemo as I don't finish until the end of October, but I love that I have all the advice from here to look back on! 

Good Morning Sacphotomom - Best of luck on Taxotere!  I will be starting my four doses in August (every three weeks too.)  I will also be starting Herceptin for a year.  I continue to be amazed at what medicine can do.  I also started something called BodyTalk which has helped immensely with the fatigue.  It's kind of a combination of eastern medicine, positive thought, and acupressure points.  I did one session last week, and have already felt less tired.  I weeded the garden last night for over an hour, and I know that before I wouldn't have even attempted it on day 3 after chemo!  

Jenny: Congratulations on being done!!!!!!! 

It looks like several of us will be joining Jenny next week.  I don't know about you guys but I can't wait to be finished!  July 15 can't be here soon enough.

Hi all!  I've been away for a bit.. had a great 4th weekend, family, friends and fireworks!  I have a blister on my thumb from lighting sparklers... but there were no other injuries!  LOL.  I've read everyone's post... I've just been bummed lately.  My appt Thursday with onc showed that she doesn't feel any change in my tumor (I've had 8 infusions of taxol and herceptin), so I'm bummed about that.  Also, I've had headaches constantly for the last month (or longer), so she's scheduled an MRI for the 13th.  Boo.  I also haven't been able to shave my head since I finished on the base Wednesday.. I think because I'm being wimpy.  I can still pull it back into a ponytail so that when I wrap a scarf or bandana around the front, I have hair showing through in the back, but I just look pathetic without the scarf on!  And, the big reality is now both DH and I are unemployed.  I have to mail my disability paperwork (some of you may remember, I had to go out before July 1 to get 6 months because our new policy that started July 1 was only a 3 month policy).  Then the place I went to get my wig last week was disappointing... not the wig, but the lady's attitude.  The FIRST question she asked after I made a joke about my hair coming out with my hair holder was "have you thought of shaving your head?"  I know that's an honest question - but I don't even know her, and we JUST met, and she just wasn't sensitive about asking!  Then she rushed me through the appt - maybe spent 20 minutes trying on wigs... said she would have to order on for me, and that it would be in Thurdsay or Friday, and then had me sign paperwork that said if I didn't buy a wig from them, I would have to pay them $45.  Now, it's Monday, and the wig was suppose to be in last week, and they haven't even called me.  Oh, and don't even get me started on my sex life.  DH has been great, but I have not wanted to for like 2 weeks now. 

I'm sorry to be a downer, but I know you guys understand, and that I can come here and tell you all of this!  I'm trying to be so upbeat and not the oh, poor me has cancer... but geez, I'm getting tired!  I still have another month of this regimen, and then 2-3 months of the AC.  (my onc keeps forgetting she agreed to dose dense AC, and keeps referring to 'every 3 weeks' when she talks about it - and that's what she put on all my disability paperwork).  There are a TON of projects I would love to get done around the house now, but without DH working, we just shouldn't spend the money because in this economy, lord knows when he will find work!  We never thought he would be out of work for this long...

On a positive note, we did go to Barnes & Noble today, and get out summer project started.  We got a Pre-K book for my youngest to start getting him ready for kindergarten (not for another year), and books for my oldest son to work on.  He's very gifted in math; going into the 3rd grade, and we're working on 6th grade math with him, and honestly, from what I've seen - he's going to breeze through it with little teaching!! 

Congrats to everyone finsihing up!!   And, HUGS to everyone moving on... I know the thought of different chemo is scary and we will get through it!  The taxol has not been awful for those of you moving on to it!  I have not gained much weight, just a couple of pounds, and the SE have definitely been managable, except taste... and I just really have wanted a lot of salty. 

Thank you for listening!! 

HUGS,  Leanna  

Hi all, I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend! Mine was pretty good - Saturday I was laid out but Sunday & Monday were better. Moving on to Taxol.....

NJB- That would be great if all us Sloan girls could schedule our appts together! I don't even have another PS appt set - he told me to call after my chemo and before rads.JennyB- Soooo happy for you! Wellsey - welcome to our group! From your post it seems like you have a great attitude. LibraryJenn - Congratulations on the port, hopefully that makes everything easier for you. Leanna - so glad to hear from you, I was starting to get worried. I'm sorry that things suck right now, I know it's hard but try to focus on the positive. Enjoy the extra time with your kids and shave your head when YOU'RE ready! Good luck with the MRI, please keep us posted. Chin up friend!  Fotopet - Good for you!!!!

Leanna9:  starting taxol first tine tomorrow...what were your SE's..when did they start.  When I was on A/C, SE's started approx 3 days after my treatment. Is the same or did they start right away?  Did your nails turn black? 

really nervous

Hi ladies!  I'm feeling a teeny bit better this morning... but this is every week - you know how you hit that low from dealing with SE, and then they begin to lift a little, and you start to feel normal again??    That being said - we are 'weaning' my treatments back to Tuesdays (because that's when my onc is in the office by my house), so this week I will go a day early on Wednesday.  So, yeah, tomorrow... and I was just starting to feel normal!  

Sacphotomom - I'm so sorry about your Dad.  I will say a prayer for him... what's his name?  Are they putting in a filter?  Heparin drip?  Where is the clot?  I don't know about your leg... but I'm going with overstretching - hope it feels better soon!! 

NJbhwgirl - The premeds for taxol knock me out for the whole infuion (the benadryl) and after treatment I'm usually pretty foggy-headed for the rest of the day.  The next day I'm usually jacked up from the steroids and feel good.  Day 2 after usually starts some GI symptoms (and constipation if I didn't take enough stool softeners... I usually start them the day before treatment and continue until I am going well, usually 2-3 days after treatment).  Somewhere around this same time my taste buds seem to change also.  Day 3, usually pretty tired, day 5-6 starting to feel normal again.  I've had fleeting problems with neuropathy... minor... so I've been taking Vit B-12 about every other day, iron and multivit every day.  My blood counts went down for about the first month, and my last 2 or 3 labs have been pretty much within normal limits.  I have had fleeting bone pain in my hips, and also headaches that started around week 3 or 4.  I have not had any nail changes, and I keep polish on them.  I think that's about it, other than the occasional bloody noses.  Usually have 1 every to every other day and they stop easy with pressure.  I feel pretty crappy if I try to go out in the heat - and have had random rashes that my onc say are not 'normal' taxol rashes (elbows, finger and side of my hand).  Not much nausea, and a little more tired than pre-treatment.  Overall, nothing major!  Hope that helps.  Let us know how you do! 

Daiva - Welcome!  Thanks for the words of encouragement - I will look up Louise Hay.  You sound so upbeat - you are my hero today!!  Yesterday my hero was fotopet for going all nude!!! 

Fotopet - GL with visit from your mom!  And, I totally understand... just tired of being tired!    HUGS!!! 

Summer - Thank you for being so kind.  I'm worried about my 8 year old... he has 3 baseball games this week, and I'm afraid he will be embarrassed if I am bald...   It's such a tough age, I don't want to scar him anymore than this is already, you know? 

Drim - Puerto Rico sounds awesome - a mini vacation in between treatment!!  

RebBarb - ALMOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Library Jenn - YAY for the port!!  Much more practical than a PICC (what were they thinking??). And, I have to tell you that I LOL about your MIL and her paper route!   

WellSey66 - Welcome and thanks for the reminders about organic! 

JennyB - That's awesome about the pool.  Water exercise is the best! 

Patricia48 - Hope you are feeling better after the transfusion!  Sounds like you needed a good rest afterwards!! 

Well, DH is out... think I might go shave my head.....  we'll see.... I'll let you know when I get on tonight if I was able to go through with it!! 

  HUGS,  Leanna

Leanna9 its 6:30 California time and I haven't heard anything about what is happening yet...my brother keeps texting me with updates "he is still in the operating room."  they started later then they said they would    .this clot is somewhere near his groin...his is swollen from his lower intestines down...my brother will let me know what they did to him when he gets home tonight..he did text me and say that they tried to go into the other leg and couldn't because of old dry clots in there..that will be cleaned out or something like that....I hate not being there not getting the info first hand..

My mom is a basket case....she cant get over the thought of them saying if they cant get the swelling down they will be cuting off his leg...I told her that they will do everything they can first..

this is why I cant handle Chemo tomorrow..they were very nice about changing my date to next weds I was just looking for Friday but I'll take next weds...

.

LEANNA, did you shave?  I'm still intrigued by how neat my head feels.  My 9y/o son has been ok with it all, more than one of my teenage daughters.  I love wearing cute baseball hats - maybe that would make it easier on him?  Btw, Fotopet was my hero too.  SACPHOTOMOM:  I'm sending up some prayers for your dad, mom and you this very moment.  Glad you were able to change your next tx.  My family is far away and I know it makes it so much tougher.   Don't forget to breathe to your toes - it'll help you deal with things. My heart goes out to you!   ~ Daiva

Sacphotomom - Still sending prayers.  So glad you were able to reschedule your treatment.  I will be thinking of your family - I hope you are able to talk to him soon - that will help you feel better! 

Daiva - NO!  Ultimately, I talked to Ryan about it, and he said he was ok with it as long as I wore a ball cap or a bandana.... so, I went up to the bathroom.... looked at my hair... pulled it back in a teeny bun in the back and put on a ball cap with the bun sticking out of the back, and went to the ballpark with him.  He had 3 hits tonight.    Ahh well, one of these days! 

GG - Sounds like a nice break - even if you were tired.  We're tired no matter what, so that sounds like a good way to spend your tired time!!    I don't get my periods anymore.. just small annoying colored discharge every now and then... sorry TMI. 

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, and the wig place that I didn't like called and said my insurance would pay $350 for a wig.. and they have 2 in that they ordered for me, so I will just have to pay the difference.  I told her I was confused, because the other wig place I went to said they called my insurance and that they cover $750.  She said, oh, well, let me check again and call you back.  She called back when I was taking a nap and told DH they were closing and I could call tomorrow.  I'm tired of dealing with their crap... stupid wig was suppose to be in last week... and I'm not paying anything for a wig.....

I'm off to bed shortly - treatment tomorrow.   HUGS to all! 

OK so my brother called they got the clot out and my dad is doing much better..the swelling is going down..  thank you all for your prayers .. I didn't get what they actually did I will get all that tomorrow..they said he will have to go through one more surgery to remove the old clots in his other leg.  and then they want to figure out why he had them.

ok now I can go to bed...

Sacphotomom - So glad to hear your dad is doing better! Keeping you in my prayers.

Leanna - I talked to my son (9 yr) and asked him if he was at all embarrassed or felt weird about me being bald. I don't wear a wig, usually just a hat and nothing around the house. He told me that he thought I was really brave and he was proud that I wasn't embarrassed!  My house happens to be the "go to" house in our neighborhood so there are constantly lots of kids in and out. I rarely have anything on my head and all the kids now think it's "normal" - they've told me they forget what I looked like with hair! LOL It really is amazing how children adapt and surprise us. Ryan may be upset by your baldness at first but I bet once he sees it & gets used to it he won't be fazed. Good luck!

Golfergirl - Glad you were able to enjoy a little vacay!!