Chemo June 2010

jenweg - I started the Taxol yesterday and the weekly dose was much better.  I didn't want to be there for 3 hours.  My husband went with me and will go with me for the next couple transfusions.  I might have my mom or mother inlaw come with me in the future infusions, so my husband doesn't have to work Saturdays (he swaps Wednesdays with Saturdays, on the weeks I have chemo). 

Hello Ladies!

I think this is the first time I reply to this thread.  I started chemo on June 11.  AC X 4 every 3 weeks, then Taxotere X 4 every 3 weeks.  I get my 4th AC on Monday.  Half way!!!! YAY! Time has been flying by most days.  It helps when I have visitors over.  My twin sister is coming to visit from Vancouver for a couple weeks, then my dad and cousin are coming over afterwards for a few weeks

The AC makes me feel like crap for the first week! Eww! I don't feel like doing anything! Somedays I can't even get out of bed! That's when I struggle with feeling sad and unmotivated and cry a lot. 

But, then the remaining 2 weeks are great! I enjoy my garden, the sun, my pool (although I'm not suppsed to because of my PICC line), watch the hummingbirds on the feeders, play with my dog, and occasionally hang out in town shopping.

I am curious and scared of starting Taxotere.  I've heard that it causes major aches and pains! And can cause permanent hair loss!  But, I'm going ahead with it. 

I would like to caution y'all about essential oils (designermom mentioned something)... Be careful when adding pure essential oils to an acrylic tub! It can melt it!  Dilute it with some mineral oil first.

Everyone take care!

Nannababy

hi girls, ive been away for awhile, trying to recover from last AC a week and a half ago, it took its toll, my emotions are shot again,i cry in the mornings, i start Taxol on the 23 and am scared to death, im thinking of not doing it, im so scared of 12 more chemos, i hope you all are well, ill have to go back and catch up so i know how your all doing,

love Chey

Hi Northern Girl,

Well I hope you are beginning to feel better. The muscle and bone pain should disipate. Have you found the Docetaxol worse than the FEC? I am curious as I start my Docetaxol on Aug 23. Most people say it is way better than FEC. What do you think?

Thanks,

Trusting

I know we all have difficult choices to make and that these are based on very different personal experiences  (some related to the cancer / some not)  but I can't imagine not doing absolutely EVERYTHING in my power to get better.    I just had 3rd round of AC yesterday, one more to go, and then 12 of Taxol and then radiation.    I simply shrug my shoulders and say  "it's temporary".     This too shall pass.    

I wholeheartedly trust my oncologist.  He showed me the online graph of how I fit into the demographics with others under my circumstances.    My chances for it returning within ten years, going untreated  (after bi-lat mastectomy)  were in the 60% range.    That percentage dropped to the 40's with chemo alone;   and into the 20% range if treated with chemo and radiation.   I said sign me up!    My mom  (a retired nurse)  said every human being stands a 20% chance .... so that's great!

I am sorry for those here that are having such a hard time with it.   I wish I could make it easier for everyone - I really do!    But I told friends and family from the start,  I'm gonna do what I gotta do to get better and then I'm gettin' on with life!

Hugs ~ 

Bon- Wow! You know all the lines for the cowardly lion! Today my son was in a funk (very unusual for this very happy kid). I have a feeling it had to do with sleep deprivation as he had a sleepover at a friend's. As I was walking him to the orthodontist, I started singing "follow the yellow brick road". Shortly we were both singing at the top of our lungs walking down Broadway. Then I challenged him to sing it without smiling. It's impossible. Try it. It just can't be done! The Wizard of Oz was his first favorite movie and we must have watched it 100 times.

chey- Welcome back! I know you are scared all over again, but you can do this. Are you taking your meds to help you with the anxiety?

Nannababy-     Welcome.  Don't let all your company wear you out!

julia-  BRCA testing is yet another research project I have been avoiding.  I know nothing about it.  If any of you do, please enlighten me.  I think it documents the genetic link in BC?  If we are BRCA+, then wouldn't any female relatives or decendant be more likely to get BC?  Like my nieces and if my son has a daughter someday?  I've put this on the backburner.  I'm still trying to decide on Tamoxifen, only so much my brain can deal with.

I was brca tested and tested positve for brca II.  I was lucky enough to inherit it from my father woohoo.  If you do test positive for either brca mutation then your children, including boys have a fifty percent chance of getting it from you.  The cancers associated with brca II are breast, skin, colon, ovarian, prostrate.  You are not definitely going to get cancer with the brca gene but you have a higher chance.  It was a very easy test, just swish some mouthwash around in your mouth and spit it in a tube and the doc sends it off to the lab.  Of course it isn't cheap at all and insurance will not pay for it if there isn't a good reason for getting it.  I had the gene in my family already so my insurance will cover most of it.  The test was almost four thousand dollars, such craziness!!!  I am getting a hysterectomy at the same time as my exchange surgery.  Boy do I wish I could get a tummy tuck too haha.

DesignerMom,

I think Jenni covered the BRCA thing pretty well, I believe there's BRCA 1 and BRCA 2.  Jenni described BRCA 2 increased cancer risks, I'm not sure which cancers are increased risk if you're BRCA 1.  Why are you considering not doing Tamoxifen?

Julia 

    

designermom - jenweg pretty much covered what i had to say about brca testing (except that I had to do it with a bloodtest not a mouth swish). I am currently waiting for the results (end of August) and then this will help me decide what surgery to have (I am having neoadj chemo at the moment). even if you are BRCA positive, this doesn't mean anything for your nieces - they (or their parents) need to be tested. it does however mean that your son will have a 50% chance of inheriting the gene (and passing it on). of course, if you are negative, then your son doesn't need to be tested as he will also be negative (unless maybe his father has the gene mutation?) and as jenweg said - it's not just BC, it's other cancer types too.

I was a little freaked out yesterday. I went for taxol/herceptin and they told me that my RBC has dropped even more since last week, thats 2 weeks in a row its been going down. I afraid I could need to transfuse. I thought its from the heavy period I had, but it should have gone back up now that its over. They told me to continue taking iron supplement... and see how I am next week.

Hi fellow warriors

It's so great to learn suggestions and tips from so many girls. Thank you for being available... night or day for cyber hugs and hand holding.

Trusting: If I had to compare my experience with FEC vs Docetaxel... side effects with FEC got more pronounced with each infusion. I had scary breathlessness and chest pain, lots of pressure in my head, and overall sick feeling. Nausea but no throwing up. I get chemo on the Friday, I was weak but okay on Sat and Sun, then I would feel sick. After the 3rd (and last) infusion, I was really sick for 3 days, then slowly got on the mend. The breathlessness is inconvenient but not painful and it lasted for about 10 days or so.  I had my first Docetaxel last Friday. Again I was weak on Sat and Sun, but okay otherwise. Starting Mon till today: terrible bone pain and muscle pain. Spasms throughout my legs, pelvis, back, shoulders, and arms. It was bad. The onc prescribed Tylenol 3. When pain was at its worst, the meds work for about 3 hours, and I was never completely pain free. This went on, night and day. It was difficult to get decent sleep. Things are better today. Tylenol3 is working just fine. In addition I got thrush which is making it hard to swallow, so sometimes taking pain meds is rough and eating... ick. I don't want to be a negative nelly, but it's been rough. So Docetaxel is a different reaction completely. I was hoping for less severe reaction. For my next infusion, they have prescribed a painkiller to start taking the day before and continue for a few days following. God I hope it works.

The good thing:  only 2 more infusions of this, then on to Herceptin which apparently has minimal side effects.

DesignerMom:  I love your spirit -  and your fabulous memory and ability to remember what each of us is up to. You are like a den mother checking in on all her charges. Well, here's one gal checking in to say, things are improving... I am going to find the more positive version of me and plug her in real soon... maybe after I take the pain meds and the thrush meds.

I got the BRCA test last year and tested positive for BRCA1.  My test was a blood test.  They took 2 viles of blood and sent them to Myriad, who owns the testing.  I got my results back in less than 2 weeks.  I met with the genetic counselor.  They asked me about my history.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU KNOW YOUR FAMILY'S HISTORY AHEAD OF TIME!!!  This way they can document the cancer.  I had breast cancer on both sides of my family.  My sister was diagnosed at 44 years old and I had just been dx at 39, so my insurance approved it.  My sister did the test later on and has the same gene mutation I have.  We are not sure which side of the family it came from.  My father passed away a few years ago (he had bone marrow cancer) and my mom doesn't want to take the test (and her insurance won't pay for it). 

Before I got the BRCA test, I had already decided to have a bilateral mastectomy.  I wanted to greatly reduce my chances of getting BC again.  Of course, nothing is ever a 100%, as I got BC again.  So, make sure you keep checking your breasts (or foobs) even if you get a BMX.

I will have my ovaries removed after I get through chemo and rads.  I have a greater chance of getting ovarian cancer with the BRCA1 gene. 

HI Ladies!

I also had the BRCA test done.  Mine was similar to Kittycat's.  First I met with the genetic counselor, then sent some blood to Myriad, then met with the counselor again to get the results.  I did not have either gene.  My mom, 2 of her sisters, and some of their aunts have all had bc, so it made sense to get the test.  I would have had a bmx if I had the gene.  Since I don't have it, I just had an lmx.  I also was tested last year for a gene that might've caused my colon cancer.  I didn't have that one either.  The only criteria I met for that test was my age (44).  If I had been a year or two older I wouldn't have been able to get tested.

Sorry about your nose Jenweg--could you just put some sort of oinment in there, like aquaphor or A & D?  I get liitle sore spots sometimes too, but they clear up on their own after a day or 2.

Chey--good to hear from you again.  We will be starting Taxol on the same day.  I am NOT looking forward to it!  I am SO FLIPPIN" TIRED OF CHEMO! *deep breath*  But, I will do what I have to do, and its just another 2 months.  WE CAN DO THIS!!!!

I am really missing my baby girl--so hard to leave her alone so far away.  But, as she is following God's will for her life, I know He will take good care of her!

I have my MUGA scan on Monday, and meet with the radiation therapist on Tues.  I will find out then if I have to have radiation or not.  I'm thinking I will, but its a "gray" area and up to the radiation doc.  I had cancer in 3 nodes, and it went through one of them.  Since I had a mx, maybe they'll only radiate the armpit area?  Anyone else have this?

Have a good weekend!  We are finally going to get a break in the heat and humidity on Sunday--I might be able to open my windows and sit outside! yay!

Tina

Joan - I can't believe your onco gave you statistics!  What are you just another number or patient!  Geez!!!  Some doctors need to learn bedside manner!!!

I'm seeing the rad onco on Monday.  I wonder what she's going to say about me working during rads!  Hmmm...