The Agony

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  • 3jaysmom
    3jaysmom Member Posts: 4,266
    edited September 2010

    g-onnie..cant seem to get to your home to PM u..hope you  get this.am still mailing cards toCarole..whats her syatus? has she gone home, or  elsewdere from hoapital?please advise

  • kymmber
    kymmber Member Posts: 66
    edited November 2010

    Back to see the ONC today, we decided on a plan for the rest of my treatment. I will be waiting for my wound to heal then I will start asmaller dosage of weekly treatments of taxol for 16 weeks. He says no more A\C. I will be taking tamoxifen  while my wound is healing to control the hormones, then on to the Rads. Hoping the side effects for the taxol are not as hard in my body as the A\C was.

    Going to see surgeon tomorrow to have the wound checked to see how much longer I have to wear the wound vac. I am so exahusted from all this cant wait for it to be over praying for no more delays.

    Hugs and Healing prayers to all

  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited September 2010

    I did MUCH better on the Taxol although I had some strange se's that no one could account for (abdominal cramping day 2 after tx), so I guess I'm just a freak of nature.  But it was WWWAAAYY  better than A/C.  You're going to make it and be fine I just feel it.

    Take care,
    Sharon

  • AnacortesGirl
    AnacortesGirl Member Posts: 1,758
    edited September 2010

    Sounds like you have a good onc.  Stopping your AC means he's listening to you and listening to your body.  Not all of us have bodies that can tolerate the standard doses and number of treatements.  I also like the way he's putting you on tamoxifen so you'll be continuing to fight the cancer while you heal and get rads.  I had a couple of periods where my onc really wanted to get me on an AI because he didn't like the idea of  "doing nothing" but there were other things going on and it wasn't an option. 

    One thing I've noticed is that it seems to be common that if you don't handle AC well then taxol is much easier.  And women who didn't have any problems with AC had issues with taxol.  So you probably have the rough stuff out of the way and it will be better as you go forward.  I'm just glad you have a plan together and are starting to heal!

  • Joviangeldeb
    Joviangeldeb Member Posts: 213
    edited September 2010

    ((((hugs)))).  So sorry you've been having such a rough time.  I had some of the same problems your having.  I finished chemo almost 2 and a half years ago.  Take one day at a time, like others have suggested.  You'll get through this.  I, too, developed an infection and seroma in my mastectomy site which held up my chemo.  I spent a week in the hospital with it. then was discharged, I would get an abcess in the incision, that would come and go, but after about 6 months, it completely healed and I haven't had a problem with it since.  I also experienced really bad nausea and vomiting the entire time I was going through chemotherapy.  It didnt' matter what drugs they gave me to counteract it, nothing worked.  I had to go in one time for them to run 3 bags of saline through my port because I got so dehydrated.  And I recall the smells and odors that I couldn't stand to be around.  My husband once lit a candle and I had to go out of the house.  Another time, my Mother heated something up in the microwave and again I had to sit on the front porch for about an hour while feeling so sick.   Any smell made me so nauseated especially after the first chemo.   it was hard, but I got through it.

    I had my gallbladder removed about 10 months following chemo.  I was having nausea and vomiting and they determined through testing that I had a non-functioning gall-bladder. I had to stay away from fatty foods, any fried foods. 

    A suggestion, if you continue with the nausea and vomiting following your chemo, and nothing seems to help, talk to your doctor about Gastroparesis.  I've had nausea and vomiting ever since finishing the chemo and have been going to a gi doc ever since.  1st had the gall bladder removed, then developed C Diff infection after a round of antibiotics.  Once that infection was killed, I still had nausea and vomiting.  Had a lactose intolerance test which was positive, so I limit the amount of lactose in my diet.  Still nausea and vomiting wouldn't go away. I had an egd which ended up being normal.  They finally did a gastric emptying test and I failed the test bigtime. Turns out, I've had gastroparesis all this time along with the other problems I had and that's what was causing the nausea and vomiting.  It got so bad that I was fitted with a gastric electrical stimulator 3 weeks ago. (a  gastric pacemaker).  And what a difference it is making.  I'm off phenergan and am able to tolerate food in small quantities. 

    I don't mean to scare anyone, but if anyone has chronic problems with nausea and vomiting after chemo has ended, please discuss this with your doctor.  since it took them 2 years and 3 months to diagnose me, if I can help even one person not have to go undiagnosed for so long, than it was worth me going through it. 

    Best of luch to you. 

    take care,

    Deb

  • kymmber
    kymmber Member Posts: 66
    edited September 2010

    Thanks girls, feeling better everyday wound is progressing really well, the wound vac is a somewhat of a hassel to wear and lug around it has help tremendously with healing.

    Deb.. as for the nausea and vomiting, I have never tolerated medications very well especially pain meds. I am praying the lower dose will allow me to breeze right through these treatments.

  • kymmber
    kymmber Member Posts: 66
    edited November 2010

    Hiya girls, Its been a while since I have been on. I am progresing well, wound vac was taken off on Oct 20th.  Onc.  cancelled my last 2 rounds of A\C due to incision complications. Changed my 4 dd rounds of Taxol to 16 smaller weekly doses, I had my 2nd Tx today. Only SEs so far is tingling in arms and legs.

    Been using hair and scalp products called Nioxin (sp) to help with hair growth seems to be working well last A\C was aug 26th and my hair has started to grow back got abt 1\4" all over, onc. says 1 in 3 people will lose their hair with Tx praying I am not the 1.

  • AnacortesGirl
    AnacortesGirl Member Posts: 1,758
    edited November 2010

    Great to hear that the infection is gone and the wound has healed!  What a side trip you had to take. 

    My tumor was actually more responsive to the taxol so I hope that is the same for you.  And since I lost my hair during my weekly taxol (it was my first chemo) than I take the number 1 and let you have numbers 2 or 3 so you can keep your hair!

    I hoping you have minimal SE from taxol and breeze through the next 14 weeks!

  • kymmber
    kymmber Member Posts: 66
    edited November 2010

    So I had number 4/16  weekly Tx treatment today.  My hair seems to be fine , still seeing a small amount of growth. Onc has stopped all other meds except Lasix, and Ativan. Showing no signs of Eyebrow or lash loss.  Getting tired on days 3-4 post treatment. No signs of nail changes using clear polish.

    Approx. how long before some of you saw hair,lashes, nails and/or brow loss or etc.

  • AnacortesGirl
    AnacortesGirl Member Posts: 1,758
    edited November 2010

    I've got to say that by week 4 I had some pretty good SEs going including having lost all my hair.  So it's sounding hopeful that your taxol might be mild SE for you.  Days 3&4 were also my worst ones.

    Keep the counting 'em down!

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