Nervous Wreck

Nancy,

I frequently stop in to see how you are doing and wanted to send you continued hope, strength and encouragement. I didn't have chemo but have  a friend who also said claritin was a life saver.  Hope you can enjoy your family and the holiday season without pain

Nancy: I had bad leg pain from Taxotere and was given Claratin and Digesic pain tablets. The combination of the two worked really well.

Sue

Nancy: We don't get that over here. I got through all the chemo without it. It's really expensive so I think they avoid giving it to us unless our counts get really bad. Hope you're ok.

Sue

I never got the Neulasta shots either. My onc said if my counts went below 5 which they never did. I also increased my protein intake to keep my counts up. My onc was impressed that I never needed it but I heard how bad the bone pain was and did everything I could to avoid it.

I drank lots of whey protein and protein shakes and shots...lots of legumes chicken and fish.

Good luck I hope you find relief from the pain soon.

Diane

Gosh Nancy so sorry you're having a difficult time of it...although not at all surprising when you're feeling poorly and have had so very much to deal with in the last few months.  I have kept up with your posts and have been truly awed by your courage and grace when facing what so many of us fear, a second round with this beast. Sending gentle cyber hugs your way and hoping for many days of feeling well so you are able to enjoy the holidays with your family. Maureen

What a beautiful surprise, just when you needed it!  I would have loved to hear it.  I can imagine how good it felt to have that happen.

If you feel that the treatments may be the wrong ones, or are not needed, you could still have your slides read elsewhere and get other opinions.  It's O.K. to do that, even if you are already in treatment. Overtreatment is something we should look out for, but you also want to do what is necessary to keep this from coming back. 

I was so scared, because mine was so advanced, that I wanted them to do every treatment there was.  I know my family really didn't understand what I was going through. Our families want us to "get better" and believe the doctors will make that happen.  It's hard to be honest and upfront with them about our own perceptions and questions about the whole process. They're scared, too, but they are not in the middle of the storm.  

We do understand.  Don't feel bad about ranting.  I wouldn't even call that a mini rant.

Hugs, G. 

No idea, Nancy, but call the onc.  If this is an allergic reaction to treatment there may be something they could give you to stop that itch.  Do you have their 24/7 hotline number? Another alternative is to call the ER or a pharmacy.  I don't know what would work best since there is no way of knowing if this is an allergy or something more serious.  When we're in active treatment it is best not to try to diagnose ourselves.  What a bummer, dealing with this now.  I hope you can get help, FAST.  Hugs, G.

Nancy,

I hope that you called the doctor and were able to get your rash and itching under control. I think that it's normal during treatment when you're not feeling well to think about whether the treatment is worth it or even necessary. I agree with Gitane that it's not too late to get a second opinion. Although they may recommend something different, they may agree with your current treatment and make you feel better about the path you're traveling. I think that our family members tend to question less then we as the patients do. That's why it's great to have this Board to come to express how we're feeling!

I'm glad that you had some joy last night! Even if you stay the course your on, the end is in sight. You only have 1 more AC and you said your tumors are visably shrinking so you know it's working!

I hope that you find peace and comfort this holiday season. 

Glad the rash is under control and that you and your family are having a good time.    Thanks for letting us know.  Lots of hugs, G.

Nancy, Just letting you know I'm thinking about you. Hope the SE's this round are minimal.

I'm happy to hear the AC is over!  Your moving right along and making it through these tough times.  You know that the first 4-5 Taxotere treatments shouldn't be back because it will take a while for it to build up in your system.  Hopefully the SEs will be minimal!

Nancy,

The good news is that you will never have to do the AC/Neulasta combination again. I also felt really lousy after my 4th AC. It took me 12 days to recover. I know how defeated you feel. I just kept thinking these few lousy months will be worth it if lots of healthy years follow. Everything always seems worse when we're exhausted from no sleep. If you don't have Ambien on hand for days like these, talk to you doctor about getting a prescription. I don't think that I could have made it through the first few months without it! Hoping that your worst days are behind you.