Chemo June 2010

Bon-I'm so sorry your rash is not clearing up. Do you have a digital camera?   As the pharmaceutical company seemed to be interested enough to document the reaction, perhaps take a photos documenting your reactions and send it to them?  Also send photos to your Onc?  I have a feeling these doctors don't quite realize how serious some of our SE are and give them lip service.  I have a feeling their just knowing you are documenting with photos might keep them more on their toes.

As for my own itchy bite-like thing.  I (I should say DH) have been photographing it's progression which I will share with my Onc.  I swear it feels like a cold sore on my butt!   Very red and itchy, then with little blisters that scab over.  I used to get cold sores on my lip about 30 years ago.  I know the herpes virus which causes it never goes away, remains dormant in the nerves.  Maybe chemo caused it to flare up on my butt??I guess we are our own new detectives.  If we don't tell the doctors and pharmaceutical companies, how wll they know?

latte, ive heard girls use frozen bags of peas because they mold to your nails better...good luck!!

Bon, im so sorry, that dam rash!!!! im thinking of you...

Woke up this morning with a urinary tract infection.  Doctor on call prescribed antibiotic.  Drinking water and cranberry juice by the gallons and feeling better.  Wondering if this will get in the way of my first Taxol infusion on Monday.  Don't want to take all those steroids, show up and have the infusion canceled. 

My oncology nurse also mention tea trea oil for my nails while on Taxol.  Not sur exactly when or how often I am to use it but that was the suggestion.  The other Taxol suggestion was drink tonic water.  I think for the possible muscle /bone pain issues.

Latte:  did they mention how much or how often

Bon  and designermom Have you been checked for cellulitis? i

JFV, my nurses said to use tea tree oil as well, i use it once a day and rub it in, on my toes as well.. mine is called Jason tea tree. i got it at Orchard Nutrition. i hope you feel better soon.

as for me that last AC Friday wiped me out, i slept for 18 hours! i still feel really fatigued. its a terrible feeling as you all know, i hear ill be down for about 5 days..

Designermom, i have a sore on my booty as well, not as bad as yours but i guess ill give it time..it was itchy... this is crazy,

Yesterday the fatigue was about as bad as it has ever been--could hardly get out of bed. Kept trying to sit on the couch and act like I was part of the family!  I'd do that for a few minutes, then head back to bed and back to sleep!  But--hopefully that's the last really bad chemo day I'll have, since I'm done with the AC now.  Today I'm still tired and very weak, but actually was able to go for a short trip to the store.

Jackie--my onc and my nurses all told me to take Ativan before I come in for chemo, because I start feeling the nausea just thinking about it!  If you have some, make sure you take it!  If not, call and ask for a scrip.  You can take it anytime you have an anxiety attack--just be careful cuz it will make you sleepy.

I hope you have a GREAT time at Sturgis!  How exciting!  I have 3 more weeks before I start Taxol, and am looking forward to doing some FUN things!  And then I'm praying that Taxol won't knock me out so bad, so I can continue to enjoy life once again.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Tina

I am so pooped out from this last AC.  I'm glad that's over.  I got a scrip for Adivan and it seems to help the nausea a bit.  Interesting info on Taxol.  I am going to try the ice or something cold on my feet and hands.  Also, the tree tea oil.  I haven't been able to find the powder glutamine, but I have to admit that I haven't looked that well either (just at the grocery store and Trader Joe's - no luck at either place). 

Did I tell you guys that I have an appt with an allergist on Tuesday to see if I am really allergic to Benadryl and antihystamines?  I am so excited about this.  Isn't it crazy to get excited about dr appts?  I have an ultrasound on my ovaries on Wednesday (not so excited about that).  My OBGYN wants to see if my ovarian cyst is still there because after all this fun BC stuff - chemo & rads, I get to have a hysterectomy & oopherectomy.  The fun never ends!!!

well, I survived AC #3 and am 5 days out.  I have been more nauseated with each tx and I hope that the last AC can be better.   I know that totally wiped out feeling is normal but it sure isn't pleasant.  My DH is so wonderful and has been so supportive and nurturing.  He is truly a most rare man.  He has tried to pick up the slack for me and I do so appreciate that.  I hope he can stay healthy through this because we are not getting any younger.  I will be doing taxotere after AC so I will start researching those boards.

jackie,  Go,GO,GOOO, and enjoy your trip to Sturgis. Congrats and I am doing your RED DEVIL VICTORY DANCE right now.  YAHHHHHHH

tina, I hope you get that itchy bump cleared up soon.  Very annoying and worrysome I know.

For me, I have had a little pulse elevation this weekend which has made me feel really tired.  It has gotten a little higher with each treatment but so far does come back down before next tx.  Hope, it will not become more of an issue. I seem to be having more trouble staying hydrated this round because of my lingering queasiness and liquids do not do well on my tummy.   I am trying to do better this week.

Hugs and prayers all around, LOL,gin2ca

Good morning and a collective (((HUGE HUG))) to all. 

I'm so hyped up on Prednisone that I really can't sit still long enough to address everyone individually. (Even spell-check annoys me today so my communications are going to be limited). But I've read your posts, feel so sorry for those of you struggling, and doing the happy dance for those celebrating another treatment down and fewer SEs.  This is some journey, hey?

Have friend here who will be my chauffeur today and I can get some work done before she leaves tomorrow. Have to call oncs office later, fight my way through Brunhilda, and find out what to do about double steroids for tomorrow. I'm still on the 12 day regimen of Prednisone and am supposed to start Decadron tomorrow. YIKES, on both I'll be climbing the walls. Already I can't sleep or focus, am jittery, and eating everything that isn't nailed down. Are 8 meals a day too many? By the time I'm done with chemo I'll be the size of a house.

Wishing you all a wonderful day of ZERO SEs!!! Stay strong, defiant and jubilant...WE CAN DO THIS!!!  Bon

Just wanted to add after my previous excitement at feeling better--after taking the dog out and digging a few things out of my closet for my dd, I am now sitting back down drinking some lemonade, with heart pounding!  lol!  guess its just baby steps today--this is also the time I usually get a little fever due to low wbc, so I need to be careful of germs the next few days too!  But overall--life is good!

:0)

chey-->dose dense taxol is better for neuropathy,(at least that's waht my onc has said, and I've read that elsewhere too) but I think the other se's are worse--I'm wondering how much worse?  I already have neuropathy, so can't do the weekly, but I'm worried about other se's and how bad I'll feel.

I know, its all so confusing!  That's why I'm wondering what other's have heard. 

hi all,

 had my first weekly taxol today (of 12). I was offered either 4x each 3 weeks (not 2 weeks) or 12 times each week. I was told that the weekly version is much easier on the body, especially compared to AC, and that the main issue is nail damage and neuropathy, plus chance of rash and allergies. So since both options for me were going to take 12 weeks in total, i chose the easier weekly option. I hope it turns out to be the case.

Anyway, I got to the onc office today, and they checked my port but said they can't use it yet becasue the infection hasn't completely gone. I was worried because for the first 2 AC tx, I had terrible trouble finding a vein (5 attempts, 3 nurses, burst veins, hours of trying and trauma) - but this time the nurse got it in straight away no problems! i had no reaction during the IV at all, and it went quickly. I got antiallergy tablet and steroid IV beforehand, and then the taxol.

after the tx, i was by the elevator and then felt like i was going to faint or be sick, and felt very wrong. so i went back into the tx room, and lay down there for an hour, they gave me somehting for nausea, and after an hour i was feeling better. By the time i got home i was completely fine, and slept for 2.5 hours, and got up feeling great.

oh by the way, i went to the tx with a cooler filled with ice packs to use on my nails. the nurse then told me that they have frozen gel gloves that i can use. (would have been nice if they had told me last week when i asked about using ice packs and they poo-pooed the idea!)  anyway the gel gloves are provided by the taxol company so i gave them a go - i'll let you know if it helps.

Latte

I am on weekly taxol and will not be getting neulasta shots however I hear that the biweekly do get the shot.

Sorry to have opened a can of worms with the Taxol q's!  Thanks for the responses.

Latte-->anemia is quite common with chemo.  Happened to me last year on a different chemo too. Mine is down to 9.6 now--gets lower with each chemo.  This last time my onc did a ferritin test--checks the iron levels, I think.  It was ok, so did not put me on iron pills.

Incidentally, my platelets have been getting lower each time too.  Still ok for chemo, but below normal. (128,000).  If I get the neulasta shot back pain in a day or 2 (like usual), I will not take ibuprofen this time, due to possible bleeding from platelets (I figure they are even lower now than a week ago).  Something else to worry and be careful about!

BUT--I am eating fresh fruit!  :P (sticks out tongue at world!)  Can't stay away from that