Chemo June 2010

YAY JFV!!!  I can't wait for my last chemo!  Good for you!

vickythomas - I am SO GLAD you are going to your last chemo treatment!!! 

JFV and Toni congrats on getting to the end. I am just beginning my journey on October 6th and I already can;t wait for it to be over. 

I am getting 4 treatments of TC 3 weeks apart.

Just got back from my another chemo opinion. This place was good too. Doctor was very nice and reassuring. They both say since I am healthy I should do well. The difference between the two is this: 

Place A automatically gives you the neulasta shot the day after chemo and they have kind of dividers between the chemo chairs with a curtain if you want privacy. But I am also checking into another one of their locations that the same doctor goes to. 

Place B only gives neulasta if you need, they have you come in once a week to monitor blood counts. They have an open room for treatment but they also have a few private rooms you could use, and they have wifi which would really make the time fly and I could get work done. 

Any opinions? 

JFV and Toni----WOOO_HOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I am doing the CHEMO FINISHED JOY DANCE for both of you.  Last chemo tx's.   Now onto the next phase of this jouney.  Happy for you!!!!!!  LOL, Ginny

Ginny thanks for the insight. My instinct is very confused right now. A part of me would rally like to skip the neulasta and another part of me thins it would be safer to get it. Good point I really don;t want any delays. I just don't know what to do. There are pros and cons to both doctors and methods. I am soooooo confused right now.

Carol - I got the Neulasta after each AC (25 hours after). I had no side effects, and it kept my blood counts up which is important.

Desingermom I am geting four treatments of TC 3 weeks apart. all three doctors agree with that. One doctor I eliminated because the nurses all had such heavy accents I could not understand them and that made me really nervous.  So now trying to chose between two. Nuelasta as I need it with wifi in the chemo room, or nuelasta after every session no wifi but divider wall between the chairs.

Chey that's just it. One doctor just automatically gives the shot and the other waits to see if you need it. I am not sure which is better. I am leaning toward the latter. Id rather not get it if I might not need it but, will I need it anyway? I dunno with TC.

Vicky-->  Looks like your last tx was today?  WOO-HOO!  You made it!!  Please keep us posted on how you're doing!

Carrol--> That is a tough decision. Most of us that had AC had to have the shot the day after.  With the chemo I had last year (a combo called FOLFOX) the onc waited to see if the wbc dropped before giving me a shot.  I did have chemo delayed several times due to low wbc counts, (and once due to low platelets, but that's different).  I just learned to roll with it, and not plan anything!

Keep in mind that even with the neulasta, your wbc can drop very low, but it comes back up quicker, so if you do get some bad germs, your body will be able to fight it--but it might be a few days later.  Mine once dropped to almost nothing, but a week later they were back up higher than normal (because of the shot).  I only had them checked that one time in between because I had a fever and chest congestion.  I'm assuming mine drop low every time--about a week after chemo, so I'm always more careful at that time.  The weird part is you never know for sure how low they get, unless the onc has a reason to check. 

How are you doing Bon?

And, yes, where is Sherry?

I did my final infusion of Docetaxel (Taxotere) today....!

I found I was in a more positive place than previous infusions, knowing this is the last time I should go through this... though i am not looking forward to the next 8 to 10 days of weird side effects. It's almost done! I will be getting just Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year.

Thanks Tmarina, LizzyAnne and Carol for the info about recovery time following mastectomy. Ideally I want to have reconstruction in the same surgery, but the oncologist does not like the delay in seeing the plastic surgeon (late November consultation with surgery scheduled some months after that). He wants the surgery to be done before the end of the year. I was so hoping to have the surgery in the new year because I wanted to be mobile and well for Christmas ( I broke 2 ribs right before Christmas last year, and could barely participate in things) There are no plastic surgeons in my town, so everything would be done in Toronto. How long were you girls in hospital for surgery/reconstruction?

Hang in there Vicky. This is tough but the end is in sight.  

Thanks to the steroids, it's going to be a long night. It's 4am and I am wide awake. Thank goodness for late night tv and my crochet project.

I did it... I am done.. I am done.. I did it... now just waiting on the side effect to come and go.. I am so happy to be done.. I am just waiting on the healing process now.. so far no real side effects, I had diarhea yesterday that was different..

 To all that have finished or will be finished.. this is a milestone that we have crossed.. and I hope that we all can heal and have a normal life or shall I say a better life..

 funny I still have anxiety... I had them drug me way to much by accident so that I could sleep through it..

The last treatment with benadryl didn't put me to sleep... so this time i wanted to sleep and I asked if I could take a xanax with the benadryl (thinking the benadryl wouldn't work) well it did and I was out of it to the point that they didn't want me to drive home.. I convinced them that I was good I only live 7 minutes away.. So when I got home I called.. and then could you believe that I couldn't sleep once I got home..

Vicky you were so funny all drugged up, i was laughing at your texts..then i knew you had fallen asleep, hehe, im so glad your done...

Carrol, its so hard to say what will happen, everyone is different,my girlfriend was on TC and never needed the shot, but it is really scary if u get sick cause u have to go to the hospital, but if they ck you and u dont need it all is well, its hard i know, let us know what you decide,

sherry we hope you are well, we miss you!!!

Northerngirl, yay!!!!! hehe, we are all getting there..

CONGRATS TO ALL WHO HAVE CROSSED THE CHEMO FINISH LINE!!!

Today is my tired day.  I have a sort of silly question.  How does everyone deal with those little cuts on their fingers.  Between low WBC and trying to avoid lymphedema I try to bandage and antibiotic the cuts.  But, the bandages get wet and fall off etc....  Small problem but annoying!

Have a good day.

Sorry to intrude but I just came across this thread and what a wonderful group. The support is so important.

I just wanted to say congratulations to those who have finished and to those of you who haven't - it will soon come.

It's nearly 2 years since I finished 8 rounds of chemo and I have just one bit of advice-

Give yourself time to recover! It can take a while but we're all different. I too was on a high when I finished chemo but it took a while for the energey levels to recover, and I was still depressed looking in the mirror. My hair looked like a 60's perm for over 12months!

Nearly 2 years on and I'm virtually back to normal. My hair is past shoulder length with just the remnants of curl at the ends.

Don't expect to be back-to-normal immediately. You will be disappointed, but celebrate the end of treatment.

Mal

Stephanie-  Thanks for the advice.  I'll pick some up.

Mal-Thanks also for the advice.  Isn't this a great group?  Intrude whenever you want.  This is day 2 post chemo and I spent it on the sofa.  It may be my last chemo.  But, it's still chemo and it's letting me know it.