Chemo June 2010

Jmorrow- chemo brain is when you do odd things you wouldn't normally.  They are usually funny and flaky.  My chemo nurse says they have done studies and there is such a thing. One of my chemo brain moments is when I used the ladies room during my 7th chemo and got lost trying to find my way back to my cubicle!  The nurse laughed and pointed it out to me.  Then I didn't believe her when she showed me where it was! 

I guess if there is a severe version there were times when I was taking A/C chemo that I did not feel like I could trust myself driving a car.  I felt like my reactions were too slow to be trust worthy in traffic.  These times didn't last long and obviously not everyone gets them because plenty of people lead active lives during chemo.  This is just my story.

NorthernGirl- Glad you are getting away!  Enjoy!

Hey ladies.. just checking in and reading up on all the post.. I am considering completeing.. If I don't Chey will probably fly in and drag me herself.. Now that she has turned this monster into a butterfly.. One week from last treatment and the musle spasms are still there.. I haven't slept, and I now have a chemo headache, my fingers are still funky and feeling funky... Sometimes I can't even hold things.. and even typing I just know how.. If I do go to treatment I don't know about getting the Neulasta shot.. I shouldn't have to with this being the last treatment..

gin2ca...My rads simulation and planning will be on the Friday, the 17th. The RO says he will do the calculations over the weekend and get me started sometime the week of the 20th.  By then I'll be approximately 4 weeks post chemo. He said the goal was to complete all 33 tx in 6.5 weeks but that it won't hurt anything if it goes longer. But he wants to start the week of the 20th. And he said it could start any day, Monday thru Thursday...doesn't think starting on Fridays is a good idea. I'll let you know how it goes.

Glad you liked it, Stephanie. I thought it was particularly apropos for all of us bald beauties! Bon

Bon-  I loved the poem too.  The ultimate when you get lemons, make lemonade attitude!

Vicky- Did you get something other than codeine for pain?  I hope you stopped vomiting.  I am SO proud of you for considering finishing your chemo!  Just ask yourself if a year from now you will be glad you DID it or DID NOT do it.  And yes, that Cheyenna seems sweet, but I bet she might fly out there and drag you to your last treatment!

Today is the first day that it truly feels and smells like Autumn here in NYC.  This is my absolutely favorite time of year.  I am cooking a big pot of hominy, chicken, red pepper, olive soup to celebrate.  Just for a bonus, I hear my neighborhood bagpipe player (you heard right) practicing in the park.  Everyone is dressed up for the Jewish New Year and I hear bagpipes in the distance!  Another reason why I love New York.

Back from Taxol #4. Made out ok with the tx but it took forever today.  The Infusion center was packed - actually had people waiting for an open chair.  Nurses were hoping!  They reduced my Decadron to 10 mg from 20 so hopefully the sleeplessness and the weight gain will ease a bit.  I had gained 8.4 bls in 3 weeks.  Ugghhh!!!  Onc told me to keep my calories at 1600 a day (no lower) and to excercise when I can.  Yea, right.  Anyway, I guess I am dieting even on chemo.  Geez!

Hope you all have a great afternoon.  I keep you all in my prayers every day!

Hi,

Northern Girl and Mimi....well I have to tell you that Febrile Neutropenia was a kick in the ass. I had more IV antibiotics than I care for. It was scary and I was very sick. Mimi why the abdominal ultrasound? I had a stomach ache prior and diarrhea. I have also had irregular vaginal bleeding. Oncologist said from chemo. A little spotting for a couple weeks. Then goes away and comes back. I was not menopausal prior to chemo as I am 45. Anyone else have this? Cause I am like do I have uterine cancer too! I have 2 more Docetaxol treatments to go and I must. I am nervous but I will be completing my treatments if it is the last thing I do.I will see my own oncologist next Tuesday and that is when I am due to have chemo. She did not treat me in hospital as I was in a hospital closer to home and she was away. I wonder if it will delay my treatment.

 Thank you to everyone else who has sent their good wishes. You are all wonderful and supportive people.

 Take care,

Trusting

Bon and Jackie- I read on another thread several ladies were fretting about having gained weight from steroids.  They also said they were thrilled that ALL the weight disappeared within a matter of weeks after finishing steoids, without trying.   I'm sure it is mostly water retention.  Please don't add extra pressure on yourselves to diet.  Just focus on eating nutritiously to get your health and energy back again.  And yes...indulge in that chocolate every once in a while.  Oooh!  I'm not even a chocolate person, but I just saw a healthy flourless dark chocolate cupcake recipe made with almond butter.  Maybe chemo changed my tastes from vanilla to chocolate, because I am seriously wanting that!

jmorrow - a lot of us have chemo brain.  I forget names, things I'm doing, go the wrong way to places, etc.  Today, I waved at my neighbor and then realized it was my husband (who was just visiting our neighbors)!  LOL!!!  Sometimes it's frustrating, but most of the time it's kind of funny.  I have to write things down or I'll forget about them! 

Vicky - I'm so glad you are looking to finish treatment!  It is really important - and I'll be there with Chey to drag you in!!!   Can you call your onco and tell them about your side effects?  Sometimes the anti-nausea meds can give you an awful headache.  Or it could be all those pain killers!!!  I really think the Vicodin is a bad idea.  For pain, I take Tylenol or Percoset (when it's bad).  Good luck!!

Okay, I'm really tired and need to go to bed.  I have a maid coming to clean my house in the morning and i'm still up!!!  At least my house will be clean!  Yipeee!!!!

MIMI:  Neupogen and Neulasta are drugs that are used to boost neutrophil production so that you don't get neutropenia. Both are used for high dose chemo patients. Neulasta lasts longer in the blood stream so you only need one injection 24 hours after chemo. For neupogen you get  injections daily for several days, depending on how low your blood count is and how well you respond. If you are get weekly chemo you would get Neupogen not Neulasta. A possible side effect for both is bone pain. Neulasta is really expensive, like $3000 per shot, neupogen is about $300. We had to check whether our drug plan would cover the Neulasta (thankfully, it did)

Hang in there Mimi. This Docetaxel stuff is wicked, but we can do this. I hear you about the twitching eyes and the nose bleeds. I feel like such a mess, but there's a better "us" coming at the end of all this!

Bon, I love the poem!

Jenmarie9: I have bad veins so I am keeping my port till Herceptin is done... I hate the little bump in my chest, I hate knowing there's a plastic device in me and I will be celebrating when it's removed!

Re: Work. I couldn't do chemo and work. Too much physical stuff with special events and long days. I took a leave for a year, they hired a temp so even if I feel I can go back before that, it would complicate things. I am taking the full year... till next March. Despite being so sick, I have really enjoyed being off this summer, and I am in no hurry to return until I feel well. I hope I get a few months where I feel well, and can catch up on some household projects. I thought it would be tougher to adjust from two incomes to one, but it has been okay. I am sure I couldn't do that if I was single.

Is anyone else due for mastectomy when their chemo is done? How long was recovery?

Thanks for the replies about chemo brain...I do believe I have it! I am starting to write down important things so I dont forget to do them. I dont sleep very well and this heartburn or whatever it is is terrible! It burns all the way to my stomach. But from what Ive read it not abnormal. Thanks again for your help! Julie

Jmorrow...I have terrible acid reflux or GERD and had to resort to a combo platter of meds to get it under control somewhat. I take OTC Prilosec first thing in the AM, then Gas-x at lunchtime, followed by Pepcid-AC at dinner and another Prilosec at bedtime. And the occasional Tums as needed. When I went for my rads consult this week, the RO told me to keep on that for a while and then see if being out of chemo a month or 6 weeks doesn't help straighten it out some. I can tell you that I've not been having such a problem mid-day now 2 weeks after the last chemo, but it still isn't right and I won't stop my self medicating regimen for fear the pain will come back full force.

grney5600...Jackie, I love the q-tip idea! Very imaginative. And as for eye-lashes, I've been reading other boards to get info on rads and beyond. And I found a board where the women were discussing how their eyebrows and particularly their eyelashes fell out a few weeks AFTER chem was over. That was pretty annoying to read, since I'd just convinced myself that the lashes left needed mascara and I was ready to go buy some. But also on that board was info that a L'Oreal product for lashes, some type of reconditioning product, worked well. So I will go lokk for that.

 JFV...Joan, my port still bothers me and I really hate the idea of having it for another 9 months, but it has saved my one good vein for blood draws so I'll keep it and pray that it continues to work. I just find that I can't roll over during the night or it gets 'crushed' and is painful. I just have to learn to sleep on my back more. And HOORAY for you that your last Taxol is next Wednesday!  Another milestone! Oh, and how did you like the RO?

DesignerMom...Ok, flourless chocolate cake won't help me lose the extra pounds (and I do wish they were going to drop off instantly when this chemo has totally cleared my system, though I doubt it's all water weight, but it's so sweet of you to say so) but it sounds great. I actually looked at a recipe for that this past weekend when I was trying to see about making something special for my Mom who must remain gluten free. I didn't make it but I thought about it. Do I get some points for that?

Oh, Just an FYI... I was reading a board where the women are part-way or nearly through the rads tx and found that someone's RO or MO recommended taking Ibuprofen 3X/day during rads tx, saying that even many weeks into rads women avoid bad burns if on Ibuprofen. Next week I will ask my MO if it's OK to do that while I'm still on Herceptin and then run it past the RO, too,  when I go for staging on the 17th.

Hey just wanted to share a bit of info, I was researching different teas, and I found that White tea may hinder DNA mutations (potentially cancer-causing changes in genetic material) even more efficiently than green tea according to a 2000 study that tested four white tea varieties (Silver Needle, Flowery Pekoe, Mutan White, and Exotica China White).

In an animal-based study published the following year, researchers found that white tea may be a powerful inhibitor of aberrant crypts (a precursor to colon cancer).

Plus, it has less caffeine than green.

Thank you for your responses. I am leaning towards keeping the port until the Herceptin is done. The thought of one more surgery though...UGH.

I can totally relate to the chemo brain. I can laugh at myself sometimes, but today I'm so frustrated by it all. I am not myself these days. I hopped into the car today with the kids and looked at the gauges and said "Huh...who filled up my gas tank??" The kids replied, "You did Mom. You did it yesterday on the way home". I seriously had to think about it before I believed them.

TCH #5 coming up on Wednesday.

Hello ladies.... I had my last Taxol treatment Tuesday!!!    YEA!!!  Been a little out of sorts latlely but at least I get the normal week  and then 2 more weeks off... Hubby and I are going to see daughter in Charleston.  Can't wait.  She is doing her 1st rotation in the hospital there...

Cheyenna- still a little scared about the "red devil"  I am not looking forward to it.. Don't know if I can do it.  My nerves are shot... worring...

Don't know what or where I would be without you girls...  this forum is the best.. Even on my worst days I can come here and feel I am not  alone...  Don't know you all but feel love for you all..  weird I know but hey !!!