Chemo June 2010

grneyd5600 - good on your for exercising. i should too, but it's still so humid and hot here, and i don't have any indoor options, so I am staying on the couch for now. Just re your heart rate - the steroids that I am taking in IV before the Taxol are automatically raising my heart rate, so maybe this is also happening to you and maybe you're not as out of shape as you think?

Good luck Gurneyd5600 and Trusting on your infusions tomorrow

It was weirdly reassuring to hear that other girls also found that water tasted bad. Ever since my Docetaxel infusion almost 3 weeks ago, water just tastes yucky. It's too bad because I normally drink tons of water. Luckily, apple juice tastes fine and I am just loving V8 veggie drink.

I have had so many SE from Docetaxel, so much bone/muscle pain, I am actually scared of getting my next infusion this Thursday. I have been a crying mess. My family has been so supportive. I am glad that they think it's okay to have a melt down! 

Good luck girls

Thanks TMarina... I take Tylenol 3 for pain. It only works for about 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours. I get a bad reaction to percoset, but I will ask the onc tomorrow for other pain relief options in time for the infusion on Thursday. I was prescribed gabapentin which I am supposed to start the day before infusion. God I hope it works.

I used gel mitts for my hands and feet to minimize neuropathy. Not sure if it worked, I still got a burning sensation to my fingertips for a few days about a week after infusion. My fingertips started to peel also. My feet are fine though.

I am going to look up compazine and prevacid. I am not familiar with those, but I do take decadron with my infusions. I got benadryl with the FEC infusion, but I am not getting an allergic reaction to Docetaxel so it wasn't needed.

Best wishes

Hello. well i had my first Taxol this morning, i got Benedryl,pepcid,decadron , and something else i think it was aloxi? i had to take 2 Decadron pills the night before and 2 in the morning before i went in. All my pre drugs took 1 hour and 15 minutes, she started the Taxol at 1/3 speed then after 10 minutes she bumped it up to 2/3 speed then after 10 minutes she went 100% i was in the chair about 2 and half hours. I had no problems so far, next Monday i go again and i will take only 1 decadron the night before and one in the morning, i dont know if they will change any pre drugs, All in all it was not bad but to think i have to do it 11 more times, wow,

 On Friday i went to my own DR and she told me my ONC will take care of the cancer and she will take care of me! she said if i wanted i could come every week and talk to her, I had told her about my ONC and felt i should walk out of the ONC office feeling secure,  but i dont! though i dont like her much i hear she is the best!!! so i need not fire her,lol My own DR put me on wellbutrin and i hope it kicks in soon, My DR told me i had situational depression and it will go away and i will be feeling better but also my life has changed. she will do anything i need her to do she said.

 So tomorrow morning i will wake up and hope not to have a melt down, my sis is here with me if i do, I pray I do get back to normal soon, on a good note i put my wig on and did my make up and went to work for a couple hours i took sis for support,lol sorry to go on and on i just need to type i guess. you have all been so good to me!!

 TMarina, what a day for us, i prayed this morning as well, and only cried when i first got to ONC treatment. the nurses were great as always, one day at a time, 11 more, not 12 what is Herceptin? i dont get that with my Taxol,i will pay good attention to everything in my body, im having minor cramps but wonder if it might be my messed up period?

love to all and se,s

Chey

Bon - I am so sorry to hear about your mom.  I can't eat eggs.  They make my stomach turn.  maybe that's a good thing!  Hurray for your last chemo treatment!!!  I hope you get the GI under control and get some much needed rest!

Designermom - a size 8 is good size. I doubt you are well padded!  You crack me up!  I'm a curvy size 8 - thanks to my mom on the bottom and my plastic surgeon on the top - LOL!!!

Chey - I am so glad that everything went well today.  And I'm glad your regular doctor is taking good care of you!  I've been worried about you! 

chey - glad you went to your own DR - and she said exactly what mine said to me. so hopefully she will give you the support you are missing from your onc. You asked about Herceptin - it's only for people whose cancer is HER2+,  yours is HER2- so this is one drug you can skip :-)

northern girl - AFAIK, the gel  mitts do not help with neuropathy - they help to protect the nails. Taxol/taxotere can be hard on the nails, to the extent that some people's go black and fall off. the gil mitts try to protect them as much as possible from this.

had my 3rd taxol yesterday, and apart from not having slept all night after, i am doing OK so far. my dad is visiting from overseas and took my daughter swimming so i will get off the computer and go to sleep while I can.

Tmarina and chey - so glad you both did well on Taxol! I was thinking of you.

I still find myself very tired today. First Taxol treatment was last Wed. I'm happy that there seems to be no chemo fog or the inability to function at all like I had on AC. I'm just always tired. I work in the schools too as a teachers aide and have to go back next Wed. I don't know how I'm going to do this. I can't imagine making it through a school day. Unfortunately financially we really need the money. Why can't all your other problems just go away when you get cancer?

I also seem to be having pain from the Taxol. Hips and knees mostly. Some pain through my right thigh and lower back. Is this a normal reaction? Does anyone know if it goes away or does it stay around through the whole time you are on taxol? I'm taking B6 and L-Glutamine (and sometimes Motrin). Anything else I can do?

Chey-  So good to hear from you.  My onc is very negative also. We are just gonna appreciate that our oncs have good scientific experience and ignore the rest. 

Tmarina-hope there is no more neuropathy.

workmother- I am very tired also and i think I had dd Taxol on the same day as you.  I am also a teaching assistant and onc has told me no work until I am done with Rads. That's a long time away!   We don't have disability so I don't know how I'm gonna pay my bills!  I am not achy but a little numb in fingers and toes and wake up nauseas. It wears of as the day goes on.

Desinger mom-  I'm a size 14!  I haven't been an 8 since I was a girl!

We are having cool grey weather here which is a change. Hope everyone has a good day.

Hey Gals,

I had the second (every three weeks) Docetaxol on Friday.  Between the comlpetely burnt mouth, severe heartburn, headaches, body aches and pain, and inability to sleep, I feel like giving up and letting the chemo win.  I normally have a better attitude but just can't muster it today.  I have lots of meds for the side effects, but they don't seen to help much. Not sure I want to do two more of these rounds. Finding it very tough this time and appreciate knowing you are there to understand.

Mimi

hey mim9186-->I think Docetaxol is the same as Taxotere?  Maybe you could switch to Taxol (I think the other name for it starts with a P?).  Talk to your onc., there may be other options.  But don't give up!!  How many more do you have to do?  I am doing dd taxol and only have 4 tx.  I know I can make it through 4 (if I did with AC, I can do it with just about anything!).  Hope you find some relief!!

Workmother-->Sorry you have to work!  Can you reduce your hours?  My nurse told me a lot of people have the bone/muscle/joint pain.  She sadi esp. in the hips and thighs.  I am supposed to alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen every 2 hours.  This worked for me with Neulasta and Neupogen pain.  But I have some percocet and will take that if needed.  I know other women have gotten have had to take stronger pain pills too.  Call your onc. to see what you can do.

Julia-->That is AWESOME that you are done!!!

CHEY-->  YOU DID IT!!  You can do 11 more!!! Its only a few months!!  I hope you were able to sleep!  Sounds like a few of us are having trouble sleeping due to the steroids!  Like Latte explained, the Herceptin is a targeted therapy for Her2+ cancers.  I'm so glad your dr. is so nice and helpful!  Take her up on her offer and go see her often!

I'm still feeling pretty good, just tired from the steroids keeping me awake.  I finally took an Ambien about 2 am (don't know why I didn't think about it earlier!), and still only slept for less than 5 hours!  With the AC the steroids didn't keep me awake the first night.  I usually slept worse the 2nd week. 

It was so nice to wake up this morning with no nausea!  I just praised God and asked Him to bless this day!  AND I was able to open the windows--heat and humidity are supposed to be down the next few days--yay!

I'm going to enjopy this good feeling as much as I can--and hopefully I'll miss out on all that bone pain!!

Love ya all!

Tina

latte-  See there is something good about chemo brain!  You are further along than you remembered!  REST!  I'm glad your dad is there to help.

kitty-  I am SO padded more than a size 8.  Dress sizes sure don't seem important anymore do they?

tina-  Hurray for your good feelings!  I am singing praises fro the cool weather here in NYC too.  I actually had to sleep with a blanket last night!

I'm off for a long walk in the park with DH.  Nothing like sitting on a park bench with the one you love! 

Good afternoon, my friends. I'll start by saying that I apologize for not being with-it enough to address everyone's issues individually. But I will say to RS711...call your doc today. If you haven't already addressed this issue with him.her/them, then call. Everyone seems to be trying to find that one MD who will drive the proverbial bus for total care. Like Cheyenne found, her PP said she will deal with the whole body and let the MO deal with chemo. So I guess if you don't have another doc who you trust to be there for you, call the MO and try to get this sorted out. After all, most MOs are hematologists, too, although the sub-specialties differ. They should know how to help you get your CBC in line and tell you what to do about the multiple periods. I hope you find someone to talke to who can put your mind at ease.

Ok, wish I'd taken my own advice. Am still suffering with GERD but have it more under control on multiple meds. Not ideal but I really didn't have anyone who will be my bus driver now.Am just waiting to have 4th and, I hope, final round of TCH tomorrow and then get a GI consult.

Speaking of which, my Mom ended up at the GI office today and they put her on yet another antibiotic for the Salmonella. Now she is on Flagyl and Cipro and told to take Imodium, eat yogurt and take acidophilus. And she is going to be 89 on October 11th.  She had wanted to be hospitalized because she feels so terrible but they aren't giving her any special concern because of age, frailness and the fact that she has lymphoma and her counts are down. I am so worried about her and really can't do much for her right now. Thank heavens my step-father is such a good guy and keeps all the plates spinning.

What's that saying about when it rains, it pours?

Ladies: I am 5 days after my second Taxol treatment and my hands started itching and burning today - it's crazy! The only thing that helps is putting ice on them. Has anyone else has this and does anyone have any suggestions?  Toni

Chey - you did it!  You made it through your first Taxol tx.  I know how you feel about it seeming to be forever before the end of your tx.  After the first three or four tx's, I started begging my husband to just let me go because I didn't think I could make it through another tx nor did I want to go back for the next tx.  It seemed like the last tx would NEVER get here.  And after tomorrow, I only have ONE more Taxol tx.  It's hard for me to believe the end is near.  So hang in there - you can do it.

It's late here in OK and I haven't been on here for two or three days and I had a lot of reading to do.  Now I find I can't remember everyone's comments or who to match them up with. So sorry - you guys have been my lifeline for the past four months.  But tonight I will say a big prayer for all of you and send many many hugs to you precious ladies. Now off to bed - tx is early tomorrow for a change.

Hi everyone

Tommorow i am having my last chemo..i  read here alot and pray for and think of you often during the day.I will let you know how it gose

Hugs to all and prayes

Renee