2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

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  • debbie444
    debbie444 Member Posts: 847
    edited December 2005
    Hugs to all of you who seem to be having a real rough time. I am not having Taxol - i am in FEC - dont know what the difference is.I seemed to have all of my probs with the op and infections etc - chemo has been pretty straightforward so far. I am having trouble with my periods tho - 10 days and still ongoing and quite heavy - anyone else had this? I thought that them stopping would be the one respite in all of this - no such luck!
    Off to a party at Frankie and Bebbys soon - Hallelujah for the sickness tablets!
    Debbie
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  • TracyNY
    TracyNY Member Posts: 434
    edited December 2005
    I have to do the work at home thing today because of bone pain and the damned NYC transit strike!! It took me an hour and a half to travel three miles in my car. The streets were packed. Needless to say, my aching back gave me the blues!! It took just as long to get back home so its me, the advil, and the laptop today.

    Now although the bone pain is a little agonizing, it beats AC. My food tastes like food should taste and I am not depressed. Three more to go...fingers crossed that it stays this way.
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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited December 2005
    Periods.... I was also promised a stop to periods and I get them every 2 weeks or so and they last forever. I find this totally unfair considering that I'm suffering from so many other problems. What happened here???????
    ravdeb
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  • Graycie
    Graycie Member Posts: 839
    edited December 2005

    Ravdeb, You are right there are a lot of young people on this board but If it makes you feel any better I am in my 50's like you.....I found taxol not to be too bad so far. I only had a couple days of bone pain which could very well have been from the neulasta shot since I got the pain the day after I had the shot, mostly achy flu like pain.....Motrin took the edge off and it only lasted a couple days..My Onc said some people don't experience any pain at all. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. Hang in there you can do it, much easier than the AC. Graycie

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  • ake
    ake Member Posts: 684
    edited December 2005

    Seriously, I'm changing my middle name to "paranoia". Ok, so on the section "Moving Beyond Cancer" there was a list of foods that fight cancer, that have the highest amount of antioxidants. It's pretty much my entire diet. But, I'm stressed now because I heard that you shouldn't eat a lot of stuff with antioxidants during chemo because you don't necessarily want your cells protected (which is what antioxidants do). So, of course, now I figure I've kept my chemo from being as effective. Seriously, how does one keep everything straight? Can someone tell me to cool it and that I'm being neurotic?

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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited December 2005
    Cool it you are being neurotic! If I did everything I read or was told it would include buckets of herbal supps, this food that food, hours of exercise and plenty of rest. Go figure. Taylor what you read to yourself , half the advice has no evidence and if you wait long enough it will be disproven.
    Fists up.
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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited December 2005
    Thanks Graycie....
    I think the fact that there are a lot of young people on the board worries me! Statistics show that women in their 50's tend to get breast cancer more than those younger but not according to this board!
    I am not into statistics anymore... I don't seem to fit into any of them....
    Thanks for your encouragement about the Taxol. I know that everybody responds differently to all the chemo and I just have to take my chances. Never dreamed it would be this hard... I entered this strong and brave and never thought I'd be in the hospital for anything.
    I'm very slowly recovering from an exaggerated reaction to a bacterial infection. It has gotten me down as I've got terrible joint pains all over my body....
    It is because of this that I dread and am scared of the upcoming Taxol...Wish I knew beforehand how I will react to it....
    But thanks for trying to boost my morale...
    ravdeb
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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited December 2005
    Ravdeb
    I think younger women are more familiar with the internet that is why it is skewed.
    Ravdeb are they giving you Prednisone for the joint pain. Have you seen a rheumatologist? Prednisone is a potent antiinflammatory and would not affact your counts. I hate to hear you are such pain. If you have to take Pred make sure you are on something fo your stomach as can cause ulcerations.
    It is 5 in the AM, can,t sleep, 2days post FAC, last one! I am on to Tax in Jan, most sound like it will be better than AC so am looking forward to getting it started and finishing up with all this crap.
    From what I have read about tax it is not as likely to cause neutropenia so I,ll keep my fingers crossed for you Ravdeb. Do they think your port got infected causing the septicemia? Or did you have broken skin somewhere? Don't forget to moisturize alot as skin gets dry and more prone to little things that in better health you could heal up.
    Fists up!
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  • TracyNY
    TracyNY Member Posts: 434
    edited December 2005
    My bone pain got to me so bad yesterday I had to take a half a vicodin!! That and a rub down with the old faithful, Bengay, I woke up this morning feeling like a new woman!!

    I know the oncologist recommends Aleve or Advil but they just weren't cutting it.
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  • Graycie
    Graycie Member Posts: 839
    edited December 2005

    My doctor gave me a prescription for vicodin and also 800mg Motrin.....The motrin worked OK for me so I never took the vicodin but I am glad to hear it helped you...He said I could take both of them together if I needed too....We will see how I do next time...Glad to hear about the BenGay, I never thought of that.....

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  • MrsBee
    MrsBee Member Posts: 124
    edited December 2005
    With regard to eating antioxidant-rich foods during chemo . . . I've spoken with a nutrionist from Cancer Treatment Centers of America about this subject. You do want the antioxidants protecting your healthy cells. It's a misconception that your counts are supposed to drop or the chemo isn't working. Why would they give us aranesp or neulasta if that were true? The cancer cells wouldn't be protected by the antioxidants anyway because in order to protect a cell, the antioxidants have to get into the cell. Cancer cells just want sugar. They don't want oxygen even. They actually live off sugar and the oxidation caused by chemo. The chemo does its job on the cancer cells while the antioxidants protect your healthy cells.

    I've heard a lot of conflicting theory about this, but the truth is that most doctors (oncologists) have little to no training in nutrition. Mine told me to eat what tastes good, take a good multi-vitamin along with calcium daily. I also take CoQ-10 to protect my heart from the adriamycin (at the suggestion of the nutritionist). I figure she knows her stuff; she works at a nationally recognized facility, and they get good results with their treatments.

    Stop making yourself paranoid and eat what you like. Honestly, if you went on a "no antioxidant diet," you know what you'd be eating? White bread, cheese whiz, and Dr. Pepper. Is that what you want? I know it's not palatable to me! Just eat what tastes good, sister!
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  • ake
    ake Member Posts: 684
    edited December 2005
    thanks for the reality check, ladies i'm eating what i want now.

    had taxol #2...the infusion was not bad, but holy crap does that benadryl knock me out in seconds once it's in my IV...really hate that part of the infusion. Creepy feeling. I'll keep you all posted about how #2 feels.

    Have a great holiday weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited December 2005
    Maryann...
    Yes, I've seen a rheumatologist who gave me what is called, Cell Cox. It is dulling the pain. Fever hit again after a fever free week and I took Tylenol with the cell cox and that worked extra well. My family doctor visited me today at home and actually told me to mix the two before I told him I had done that last night. He also told me to listen to my body and not to be upset with the fever. At any rate the fever is gone.
    I don't have a port...just veins... :-( I asked about a port long before I started chemo and 3 doctors told me I don't need it. I asked about it again now and was told again that I will manage without one, even after all that I've been through. For now I'm off chemo and won't go back on it until I'm stronger...I'm very weak right now. I have an appointment with my oncologist on Sunday. They will take a blood test for wbc and discuss when I'll be starting chemo again at half dose every week. My family doctor told me to be leary of starting too soon and he doesn't think that taking more time off from it will be a problem. He's a believer in the patient being her own doctor.
    All that talk about eating right.... I used to eat only healthy foods before I started chemo and now all I seem to crave is junk food. It's very weird and everybody thinks I'm nuts. I'm probably in need of empty calories as I'm thin anyway and lost more weight since I've been sick....
    I'm talking about Burger King, MacDonald's ice cream, pizza..... that's mostly what I've been eating! I used to eat salads...lots of greens, broccoli sprouts that I grew myself.... hopefully I will return to that.... haven't gained any weight on the junk food...don't eat enough of it I guess!
    Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate Christmas and Happy Chanukah to those who will light the first Chanukah candle on Sunday evening....
    ravdeb
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2005

    Are all of you Taxol/Herceptin girls getting the port??

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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited December 2005
    I did, had a hard time with veins from the start. Had three red flare reactions which prolonged chemo and caused the veins to get hard, red and swollen. With port went like a charm this time. I suppose if your veins are holding out nicely it is not absoltuely necessary as there are potential probs with ports.

    Ask your staff they'll let you know if you need one.
    Fists up!
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  • karlahook
    karlahook Member Posts: 12
    edited December 2005
    ok...have a question for everyone...I am haveing A/C every three weeks...my last one is next Tuesday. Then I start Taxotere/Hercepton. I would love to change to dose dense...anyone on these two that are doing dose dense chemo? If so, how is it going?

    Karla Hook
    IDC - Stage IIC
    Texas
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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited December 2005
    my plan is still q 3weeks. I have not been offered dose dense, Nor have I read it has any great edge. To me it would give you no down time to recover. It takes me about 2 weeks to start feeling ok again after FAC. If I had had to go to chemo weeekly during that time I would have been dempralized, and ill with netropenia. The docs would have had to use Neupogen etc to keep my counts up. Herceptin is widely accepted every 3 and many women are on every 3 tax. the dose is higher in the every three crowd.
    I haven't seen any evidence that one or the other is better. So for me I like to have the space in between and anyway we all finish at the same time.
    Fists up!
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  • debbie444
    debbie444 Member Posts: 847
    edited December 2005
    Merry Christmas to all of us fantastic october ladies!
    All ready now, off to Christmas Eve service.
    See you all soon
    Debbie
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2005

    I am going to my doctor this coming week, I am going to ask about the every 3 week regimen as each week will be too hard!!

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  • ravdeb
    ravdeb Member Posts: 3,116
    edited December 2005
    I was on dose dense AC followed by dose dense Taxol. That was the plan. I did 3 AC treatments and got very sick. My body can't take the dose dense. They had to drop the 4th treatment. I begin weekly treatments of Taxol on Thursday that will be for 12 weeks. They lowered the dose and then divided it up over the 12 weeks. In the end, I will get more chemo in me but at a much slower rate. It's supposed to be easier on the body.
    Studies have shown that dose dense is more efficient as it doesn't give cancer cells time to move about. You have to have neupogen or something like that to up your wbc as dose dense doesn't give your body time to raise the wbc naturally.
    But, it's not for everybody and I'm proof of that.
    Good luck
    ravdeb
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Member Posts: 109
    edited December 2005
    Hi everyone,
    I'ved been MIA for a while due to holiday activities with my daughter--which I've mostly felt up to doing.

    This Friday, I am due to start Taxotere (I think that's the spelling) and am wondering about side effects. I've heard about neuropathy, but what about constipataion? I had it bad with AC, and started on Senokot-S before each treatment. Should I do the same for Taxotere?

    Thanks for any input.
    Jane
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  • Deese
    Deese Member Posts: 144
    edited December 2005
    Jane, I had trouble with it during AC and Taxotere. I'm 5 weeks past last tx and still have some problems. I'm trying prune juice (yech!) right now cause I got tired of taking Senokot all the time.

    Denise
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  • Graycie
    Graycie Member Posts: 839
    edited December 2005

    Constipation seems to be an ongoing thing with chemo because of the steroids. I was much worse with the AC because they had me on the steroids longer. I am on Taxol now, not Taxotere so I am not sure how that will be for you but I would at least take a stool softener.

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  • sherryhaire
    sherryhaire Member Posts: 192
    edited December 2005

    I was told that diarrea can also be a problem, maybe that is because I will be on Taxatere and Xeloda at the same time, mine starts on Thursday Really nervous about the hand/foot stuff, My onc said to try B-6 when I start this about 150 mg a day he said about 30% of his patients said it helped so it is worth a try as I type all day and also have to walk up a flight of stairs to my office. Anyone else have suggestions or experiences?

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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Member Posts: 109
    edited December 2005
    Quote:

    Jane, I had trouble with it during AC and Taxotere. I'm 5 weeks past last tx and still have some problems. I'm trying prune juice (yech!) right now cause I got tired of taking Senokot all the time.
    Denise



    I hear you, Denise--but I really got sick of stewed prunes as well and never finished the last batch I made. Thanks for your input.
    Jane
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Member Posts: 109
    edited December 2005
    Quote:

    Constipation seems to be an ongoing thing with chemo because of the steroids. I was much worse with the AC because they had me on the steroids longer. I am on Taxol now, not Taxotere so I am not sure how that will be for you but I would at least take a stool softener.



    Thanks for your input, Graycie. I appreciate it.
    Jane
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Member Posts: 109
    edited December 2005
    Quote:

    I was told that diarrea can also be a problem, maybe that is because I will be on Taxatere and Xeloda at the same time, mine starts on Thursday Really nervous about the hand/foot stuff, My onc said to try B-6 when I start this about 150 mg a day he said about 30% of his patients said it helped so it is worth a try as I type all day and also have to walk up a flight of stairs to my office. Anyone else have suggestions or experiences?



    Hi Sherry,
    Interesting that you mention diarrea as I've had alternating bouts of constipation and diarrea since my 3rd Chemo.

    My doctor is recommending that I put my fingertips in ice water during Taxotere treatments although I think it's for saving the fingernails rather than for neuropathy. If I learn anything else, I'll let you know. Take care,
    Jane
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  • spirit
    spirit Member Posts: 52
    edited December 2005
    Hope everyone had happy holidays...

    I haven't been here in a while, since my carotid surgery. I was told by my Oncologist that my window of opportunity for the chemo had passed...so althought the hair was pretty much gone, it's actually about an inch now, but very fine!

    I am waiting to have my other vascular leg blockage scheduled. The office were closed yesterday. I left a message with the vascular surgeon's to be called back.

    Called the onc's office and explained what he'd told me about scheduling an appointment for after the 1st. I was told to wait until the surgery was scheduled and then to call them as he wouldn't be back until the 4th of Jan. anyway.

    I have been very depressed the past couple of days...out of fear I guess. Fear of the surgery (by-pass) and fear of not having chemo as adjuvant therapy. Not sure which scares me more!!

    Just wanted to catch up with the Oct. gals....looks like I can no longer be a part of y'all Not sure what will be recommended.....

    lots of hugs,
    kate
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  • Graycie
    Graycie Member Posts: 839
    edited December 2005

    Kate. I am so sorry to hear of all your setbacks with your health. Please still be part of the group by checking in with us once in a while and let us know how you are doing. I am sure everyone will want to know..All my best wishes go out to you for your surgery and a speedy recovery....Hugs, Graycie

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  • maryannecb
    maryannecb Member Posts: 1,453
    edited December 2005
    Kate you are part of the Oct gals because we all know you already! Others are having setbacks too. In life you can only do what you can do! You have faced some major surgeries over the last few months as well as tried to deal with the Big One cancer... it is normal to feel daunted by all this.

    If one bad day leads to the next, you are having trouble funtioning or things just don't start looking up go see your pcp. Depression is treated with counseling and sometimes meds, both work well and will help you to feel better.

    We all have schedules for surgery, chemo and radiation. Each of us is an individual however and we wll not all tolerate the exact same treatments. Be sure to try to follow your onc advice. Don't let your fear of SE or the unknown keep yo from this battle. Your onc will let you know just what your body can take and that is all we are all doing. To have those surgeries I assume you are at least 60 yo and likely have other medical conditions which may make you not feel well. Just do your best....
    Fists up!
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