Chemo June 2010

Just back from chemo #4 only 2 more to go!  Pretty uneventful, now I am on the "keep the constipation away" mode! 

julia-  Initially I thought Tamoxifen was just a given. I am still in the research mode.  I think the bigger your recurrence risk, the bigger your benefit.  With a lower recurrence risk, your benefits are also lower.  Tamoxifen has a lot of SE including heart, stroke, blod clot and uterine cancer.  As I will be getting radiation on my left side, very close to the chest wall, the radiation may "kiss" the heart and lungs, which may cause some heart damage.   If Tamox can cause additional heart problems, that's a concern. I also have a non-sympomatic blood condition which caused me to miscarry three times (due to clotting in placenta).  So I have to weigh whether the benefits outweigh the other health risks.  If I was at higher risk, I might think differently. Also, I am perimenopausal.  Tamoxifen is usually given to premenopausal women.  I think then you switch to Aromatase inhibitors.  I think there is new information just out that seems to say the Aromatase inhibitors can be used as effectively.  SO much research, my poor brain is exploding!

jenweg- I haven't had nose sores with chemo, but my son has that problem in the winter.  I found this rather "old fashioned" ointment called Boroleum.  It comes in a tube and seems to work well.  Like with everything else, nausea, constipation etc....it's best to be proactive.  A little on a q-tip every night will keep your nose happy.  Once cracks or lesions start, it is harder to get rid of them.  I also swear by tea tree oil.  However DON'T use it undiluted.  I have actually used the tea tree oil chap stick (on a q-tip) and it works too.

JFV- So sorry about your Onc's scary statistics.  It is her job to tell you everything, including the worst case scenarios.  Just know there are countless people who BEAT the odds, even lousy ones!  Just today I ended up sitting next to a gentleman in chemo. DH and I couldn't believe it as he was a former colleague of DH.  Small world or another "God Wink".  This guy has been through such an ordeal, tumor on the spine which they said would leave him paralyzed after surgery.  After surgery they kept "testing" his legs for feeling.  He finally told them to leave him alone, his legs worked fine.  The doctors just couldn't seem to accept that he was NOT paralyzed.You just keep your eyes on the prize and beat those odds!

Thanks to everyone for the BRCA feedback.  More research!  Okay, I think I need a snooze now. I didn't sleep much last night and chemo tuckered me out.

I was very suprised by the not work thing.  Everytime I go it's something new.  I sort of wonder if she has a problem with another patient and then decides if she is gonna' change something or tell me somthing based on what happened to someone with a similar Dx.  Tmarina like you I would have recess and lunch duty as well as arrival, dismissal and a whole day in the class room with a diabetic 1st grader.  And I was working with older kids the last three years so it would be a whole new set of germs for me to deal with.  I'm wondering what the rads doc will say too about working.  Also since I won't be working I'll have a huge commute to this doc.  I could go to one locally but she doesn't know him.  I dunno.... TMarina have you heard from your daughter.  Is she settling in to school?

Kittycat it was pretty awful her telling me my bad statistics.  Particularly after I told her I was feeling very fragile after reading my post surgery report.  Hopefully, I am done with bad news.  I will beat the odds and get on with my life.  I know the worry and fear doesn't help a thing,.  I am doing everything possible to beat this or at least put it in remission for a loooong time. I just need to get the strength to stop worrying.

Designer Mom  I guess it is better to know the worst.

tmarina, im so tired of chemo as well! ill be thinking of you on that day!!!!

im still an emotional wreck, wondering if i should do it? if i can do it? im still crying a lot, the meds dont seem to be helping, i wonder if they have made it worse, my ONC is never around, i left messages yesterday about my depression and no call back yet, i need to find a way to pull myself up, i just dont know how? i dont know how to be me anymore, im so scared to start the taxol. i dont mean to complain but i cant keep it in any more, i cry as i type this,im such a baby, i wanna sleep through it, i wanna be me again and enjoy life, i love to read all your post cause your all funny and positive, ok im done complaining, im sorry

love Chey

Thanks, Bon!  I'm trying my best to find the silver linings and even have fun when I can.  I'm very close to getting hats from all 50 states and plan to use them to raise more money for my Race for the Cure team (Denver race is Oct. 3).

Hi Designer Mom,

 I am so happy to hear that you only have 2 more chemo's sessions to go. I often read your post here and you are so comforting and warm to others. You must have a lot of friends and  be well liked. I hope all goes well with you on your cancer journey. You just strike me as such a kind and caring person from what I see you write to others here.

Take Care,

Trusting

Brat352...CONGRATULATIONS!  You are our proof positive that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  Please keep us posted on the rad tx.  I dread that and will have a 3 hr. roundtrip drive each day for at least 5 weeks. I'm worried about not having any time to work then!

All the best to you...Bon

brat352-->CONGRATS on finishing chemo!!  Yes, please do keep us updated on rads.  I find out next week if I have to have it.  Sorry you have to work so much.  I don't think I'll go back to work until I'm all finished with all my tx. 

Jeez Bon!  That is a lot of drive time!  But it will be worth it to know that you are doing everything you can to kick cancer's butt!

D-mom--you're almost finished with chemo!  Now for that decision about tamox....Do whatever you will be comfortable with!  Good luck with your decision!

Hope everyone can enjoy their weekend!

Tina

Still not sleeping well and am not writing much becasue I'm loopy. But I read all and am wishing each of you time in the NO SE Zone. I celebrate your successes and truly mourn your pain. I worry about each of you and

My own personal hellish SE this last tx is screaming indigestion from everything that I eat or drink. No sleep and stabbing pain in the solar plexus means I'm doubled over and drowsy and wobbly...great look for a Realtor, wouldn't you say? "Sure, Martha, let's buy a home from that woman. She's ever so professional". 

My theme song for the day is the classic BeeGee's disco.."Stayin' alive...staying alive...uh, uh, uh, uh, Stayin' Aliiiiiive...".

DesignerMom...Thanks, but I have taken Protonix,  Pepcid, Gas-ex and Tums, plus a probiotic preparation. All of those in combo and nothing helps. It's maddening. Absolutely everything, both solid and liquid, causes pain and uncontrollable burping that just sounds nasty. Add that to my professional repertoire!  I don't have a gall bladder anymore so that's not the culprit. I had a bit of this after round 1 of the chemo. Not so bad post round 2. This time it's a winner...."And the award for the most bothersome SE of round 3 goes to ...Acid Reflux!"  

Sorry to whine about something like this when others are facing bigger challenges. I worry about everyone...Chey, please see if  there is a professional counselor who specializes in working with people confronted by illness. He or she (hopefully it would be a she in this case) might have a fresh approach and and get you to a more peaceful mind space. I Googled your area and found at least one psychologist who mentions that she deals with chronic health issues. (Her name is Anita Kemp, can't remember any the rest of her other info. Don't know if she's good or not). You can't make good choices when you're depressed. And it's hard not to be depressed when you're faced with all this chemo and cancer stuff.  I worry that your depression will paralyze you or keep you from making the best decisions for your future. We are always here for you but perhaps you will benefit even more from seeing a qualified professional.

Going back to my hole for the rest of the day. Be well everyone.

Bon-Oh I feel for you.  If you were here, you could entertain my 11 year old.  For some reason he thinks burping is the best thing!  I know you have probably thought about this already, but propping yourself up and sleeping sitting up, nestled in pillows is better than flat.  I actually did this last night as I was suffering from nausea and reflux after chemo.  It was my own fault as I ate a spicy Mexican salad after chemo.  What was I thinking??  I finally threw up at 4 a.m.  That helped!

Kittycat ~ I just finished my 9 weekly Taxol/Herceptin course of treatment, and I felt that my SE's were minimal with the more frequent, smaller dosing.  My pre-chemo meds included Decadron, Pepcid, Benadryl, Anzemet & Ativan.  Yes, I had some yucky, tired days...but, the GI stuff was the worse part for me, well, and the fatigue.  Cheyenne ~ Hang in there girl, you've been heavy on my heart these past few days...

I start my next 9 weeks tomorrow.   FEC (thought it was FAC, but my oncologist decided on the "E" rather than the "A" part of my cocktail).  I am so nervous, everyone says this course of treatment is going to be rough, and I'm very, very scared.  My kids are my support system, and I feel like I'm burning them out.  I try to be positive, and yet my girls tell me how negative I am!!!  Stinks when you feel like you're handling this whole rotten situation pretty well, and then whammy, you find out you're a 'negative nelly'...or so my kids tell me.  

janny-I don't think you are being negative, you just have SO much to deal with.  I think everyone sort of gets into "overload" and gets testy. Even my DH, who is the most supportive, patient person I have ever know, has gotten a bit "fed up".  He actually said (not in a mean way) "boy am I tired of this".  To which I simply responded "yep, you can bet I know how you feel".  For me, the best strategy is to not respond, just side-step any tense moments.  It gives everyone breathing space to regroup, get strong, patient and determined again an get through these miserable treatments.  And by the way, you have every right to be miserable at times.  This disease and fighting it stinks big time.  I would think you were insane if you were all "Everything is beautiful, in its own way"!  As always, you remain in my prayers.

Hey Bon,

At least you're burping, I'm farting!  It's awful:-)  However, I think to myself, well at least now I know what heartburn and acid reflux are, not something I ever experienced before!  I wish you were in AZ, we need a realtor there, shopping for a 2nd home.  The realtor we were using was doing my head in, I think I'd like working with you!

Julia  

Julia2...what a great pair we'd make looking at homes together, you farting loudly and 'fragrantly", and me, doubled over in pain and burping loud and proud! Don't you think they'd just love to see us coming through the door?

My reflux is so bad now that I can't even get relief from a bland diet. I just took a sip of diluted apple juice and the pain going down was incredible. My gut is shot. I'll be cured of cancer after this but have no GI tract!

If you want a name for a Realtor in your area who might be someone you'd better relate to, send me a PM with some info and I'll call a few agents out there and do some interviewing. I've got a pretty powerful professional network and do a lot of referrals. That's far easier to do from the sofa than actually showing properties. Last Friday I was stuck in sand ruts when I dragged myself out to put a sign up on some vacant commercial land. Good thing I have a small SUV and was able to navigate around the dune. It was the absolute middle-of-nowhere and I was getting weepy...I thought I'd die out there and the headline would be "Bald Realtor found Dead in Sand Pit...film at 11".