Chemo June 2010

ISHOBIE, my red blood count is staying in the 3.4 range, and I had also wondered about red meat or iron supplements, but got the same answer you did. As I have gone along in treatment, I'm now on Taxol, I've found the fatigue varies from week to week. Some weeks I have energy, and some I'm more tired. I've just had my 6th weekly Taxol, and its been mostly (relatively) easy and most of the time I feel pretty well.

Workmother, I always ask the nurses for a photocopy of my blood work. If nothing else it gives me something to read during chemo and I google what all the little abreviations mean. 

Hi all, I am at work, so I apologize if I dont' get to adress every one..Two days to Taxol.. DREADING IT..

@Latte, I truely understand the bladder thing.. seems that I can't hold it after treatment.. It actually became a joke in my house, I can't seem to make it from my bedroom on the first floor two the bathroom on the second floor.. Told my husband that no matter what when we buy I will have to have a master bath.. that is a deal breaker for me..

@Chey, I am so proud of you.. good job...I knew you could do it.. 

@Ishobie, I look and ask myself all the time WHAT THE HELL? I have always been able to handle things pretty well and keep a smile so that no one know what is going on.. this time..not the same thing.. I am a outgoing always on the go.. now I am at home so much that even the dog is confused..

@Bon, glad your mother is doing better and I hope she continues to improve

@Kitty Kat, call me crazy, but I have had alcohol after treatment sometimes before and I told the onc and he said it was okay.. as long as I wasn't drinking like I was at a party but a glass was fine.

@JFV, Workmother, glad that you are able to have fun.

@grneyd500, I am glad that you are not suffering like some of us.. You actually give me hope, that maybe the next one won't be so bad..

Ladies, I hope that today will be pleasantly uneventful for all of you. It hasn't worked out that way for me so far.

I dragged myself to the hospital at 6:15 this morning to get there for my Mom's physicians rounds.  Finally got to speak face-to-face with both GI and PCP to articulate my concerns about her needs. We have finally established that she is improved but only slightly and the diagnosis is murky at best. They had agreed not to move her to a nursing or rehab facility until her condition improved quite a bit more or they had a more definite plan for treatment BUT just now Mom phoned to say a social worker walked in and told her they are making arrangements to send her to a rehab center. So at the moment I have a sick Mom in a hospital cross town who is in tears and a friend in her way back there to see if she can sort it out. I am still confronted with the nausea and wobbles of my latest chemo 6 days ago and can barely hold it together long enough to type this, so can't manage to get back to the hospital right now.  Cancer is challenging enough and this added worry for my Mom is just the topper. I'm sooooo frustrated. No one seems to know what the other is doing.  Does no one in the medical community listen?  Bon

DesignerMom...I need to borrow your soundproof room...I feel a major primal scream coming on. Anyone want to join me?  One giant primal scream for women everywhere who are trying to keep everything together and functioning, in spite of this cancer dx and the nasty SEs of treatment. I so hope that some day we can meet up for a rally of spirits...and a shout of joy to have survived it all.  I'd love to bring my Mom along.

Bon-  I am counting on that celebration rally.  I am also counting on your mom joining us!  Definitely, any of you can use our sound studio to scream.  Heck, we're smart, we should be able to figure this out to work virtually.  What was that place they went to on Star Trek?  The holo something or other?  Beam me up Scotty, I want a Pina Colada on a beach in Hawaii?  Bon, when you finish screaming, come join me!

mimi- WTH!  So sorry for your misery.  Your doctor is on vacation till Thanksgiving?  I'm with you, what's the point of him being your doctor?  What would that be, a 3 month vacation?  I'm doing something wrong, can't even squeeze in a weekend off (the joy of having your own business).  Once again, I am wondering for all of you taking the DD aproach instead of the lighter (maybe fewer SE) weekly schedule.  I think the benefit is the same, right?  Perhaps the easier, weekly schedule would allow you to function better, even if it lasts longer?

I am off to visit my dear friend at her glorious house and lush gardens tomorrow (complete with Japanese tea house hanging over a lake).  I am going to pretend that I never heard the word cancer....just for a day!

Oh!  Today is my 17th wedding anniversary.  Good things DO happen!

Hi everyone. Had my second Taxol dd today. Onc. had me take my Benadryl orally this time since I had such a funky reaction last time. Much better! Its the small things that make me happy. Rest of treatment went fine. Just a LONG day again. I am feeling kind of tingly inside all over my body this evening. Its a strange feeling!!! A new SE for me?

I go back to work tomorrow. Hope the steroids dont keep me up all night like last time. Onc. did give me a script for Percastat for joint pain I had last time. Maybe if I take that tonight I'll sleep? but will I wake up OK for work? Decisions. decisions!! I echo the WHAT the heck sentiment.

Onc. said he will touch base with the rads onc this week to get me my first consult. UGH. It never ends. I think I will join in the primal scream of there is room! -Donna

BON_ AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bon - OMG!!!  I can't believe the chief dietician gave your mom peas!!!  I'd throw a bag of frozen peas at her just for being stupid!!!!!  UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope she gets some competent help and doesn't get transferred to the rehab facility.  Unbelievable!

Tomorrow is my 4th weekly Taxol treatment!  I am feeling much better the past few days since I slept for a few days.  One of my coworkers told me that some of my customers have asked her how I was doing and that they are worried about me.  My manager is coming in on Thursday to work with me all day.  We're going to go over some stuff where I need help and go over a plan that works for me (which means I either go out on STD or have real help from team members).  One of my coworkers who travels a lot volunteered to travel to see my customers in Reno.  That was so sweet (esp since I know how much he dislikes traveling for work). 

About counts... I was told that my WBC cannot go below 1 and my RBC cannot go below 8.  Last week I was above 5 on the WBC and 8.8 on my RBC.  I really hope I don't need a blood transfusion. However, a couple of my friends had to get a blood transfusion and they said it was okay.  Yuck!

Morning Ladies!  Kittycat, what a beautiful new photo of you!  You are so pretty!  Bon, I just keep visualizing all of us in you're Mom's room when the doctors rounds occur!  Boy would he be in for it!  Got my BRCA1 and 2 results yesterday, negative, yippee!  Also went to a free lymphedema education seminar last night at the hospital, which made me feel a lot less scared about getting lymphedema.  All in all, a good day.

The biggest cloud in my sky at the moment is work.  I am on a project where the client has made it clear she thinks my role is worthless.  This is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy since she won't include me in anything so I am less effective than I could/should be.  What i want to say, and I can say to you guys, is 'Look you crazy bitch, I am GREAT at what I do, the demand for me is really high because I'm great at what I do, if you would allow me to do my job, perhaps you would see the benefit of having a dedicated professional in my role on your project.  Plus, I have cancer, so you should be a damn site nicer to me than you are'.  There, i feel better now.

Julia     

Hi Sherry9316,

 FEC was ok and I made it through the 3 treatments. I did have SE such as nausea and fatigue. I found that with each treatment the fatigue got worse. FEC SE were gone within the first week though and for the next two weeks after that I found I was almost normal. Make sure with FEC to manage your nausea and do ask for prn nausea medication and the Odansetron. If you feel nauseated use the prn meds too. I wish you well and it sounds like you will be ok. Think positive. I am now on Docetaxol and find that has a whole new set of SE to go with it too. I have 2 more treatments left and they could not be over soon enough. The FEC definetly worked in shrinking my tumor and my lymph nodes. I would listen to your ongologist. Let us face fact NONE of these chemo drugs are a walk in the park and we have no choice. It takes the devil to kill the devil so to say.

Take care,

Trusting

Last Taxol/Carboplatin tx today!  Should have been more of a celebration, but my meeting with onc revealed some new information that was not positive.  It seems I also had a DCIS tumor along with my IDC tumor and I never knew that.  Although it was right there in my pathology report.  I must have been in outer space when I looked over the report.  We discussed some other things going on with my that negatively compounds my type of cancer. My onc confirmed that he really wants me to do the FEC and so I will.  I won't like it but I will. I start FEC on Sept 22.  I am really afraid - but somehow I will make it.  I have you guys, I have my strong, supportive husband and family, and I have DRUGS! 

Trusting - what is Odansetron and what do you take it for?  I don't have that.  I do have lots of AM and PM nausea drugs and some for in between I think!  After my experience with AC, I will definitely start the meds as soon as I have an inkling of any nausea.

Onc told me something interesting today - he said it takes at least a year after all your treatments are over before you get back to normal mentally after all you've dealt with in your mind. Never thought much about that because I feel like I am strong emotionally and mentally.  I do get a little cranky the evening before and day of chemo (according to my husband LOL)!  It's my body that's failed me in more ways than one.  Anyway, I had never heard that.  Wondering if anyone else has heard or read or been told that.  

Bon, honey.  I can't think of words to comfort you with all you've been through lately.  It just seems overwhelming to me.  And yet here you are, supporting all of us and hanging in there.  Bless your heart!  Just know that I pray every day for your situation.  I so hope it takes a turn for the better real soon.

Chey - I think your meds are working!  <giggle>  Yay!

Sherry im so sorry to hear that, you have been through so much, we have made it this far,we can make it to the end.... NO you need to stay here with us!!!! i say we all started together and we will finish together. ill be on chemo till November but am staying with all you guys!!!!!!....... I have heard that as well, it takes a good year but maybe we dont notice till we are there, did that make sense? yes i think the Lexapro is helping but i still cry,

love Chey

My transfusion went well on Saturday. I got 2 units of RBC...hopefully that will bring me up to a 10. I will find out on Friday when I go for my second Taxol/Herceptin TX. Are any of you having red blotchy things as a result of the Taxol or Herceptin. I have one on my chest (last 3 days) and am going to see the plastic surgeon tomorrow as it is on my right boobie - the one he is "pumping up". It's not near the port or scar..I am also noticing that I have a few red spots on my face - just noticed tonight...