Chemo starting in December 2010

spartina and hopefortomorrow, I also have 4 doses of Taxol left, although I still have to have surgery before rads. It is definitely exciting to see the end of the chemo tunnel though!

Is anyone else's hair coming back? Mine is fine and white on my head, arms, eyebrows, armpits, everywhere! Does everyone else have white hair growing back?? I was a red head before and am just wondering when I should freak out that I'm now an albino!! Maybe it will change color at some point?

Hello Everyone!

It has been a very long time. I have dropped by a few times and caught up reading all of your posts. My regiment is TAC, 6 treatments, 3 weeks apart. I have done well with few SEs. My onc told me I have "stem cells like nails". I think that was one reason I had a hard time coming here regularly b/c some of you were not as lucky as I. Hard to understand why some of us can tolerate this poison while others struggle so. Elizabeth Edwards alluded to that d*mn short straw.

The main SE that has visited me is the hydration issue. I have very good kidneys and usually must get fluids after every treatment. I am also SICK of Gatorade! However, the last two treatments muscle cramps/aches in my legs have set in. I confess as of March 1 I started trying to play some golf. My legs are very out of shape from not playing for 3 months. However, at this point the soreness should be gone and it is not. I have been playing between treatments for near a month now. I only do 9 holes as that is all the energy I have. But I do play those 9 holes. So is this tightness, cramps, soreness from the drugs? Will it leave me after chemo is done? My LAST treatment is April 6 and like all of you I am READY for it to be OVER. I would also like to have my legs back.

I pray for all the BC club members every night. Still have not figured out why our club is so darn big. Enjoy the little things in life b/c they are what you tend to miss the most.

Bambi

Hope: Rough day here too. I hope you start to feel better.

I have been so exhausted the past 2 days and thought that maybe my counts were too low. Well they are actually going up. I had a chest x ray too due to my cough and slight rattle. That was clear but I am being treated for broncitus. I hope to feel better tomorrow as my son is getting an award at his school!! They have an assembly everymonth and he could get the student of the month or the good sport award. I can't wait to see which one!! He is so good at school!!! 

My hair is really starting to come in.  It's long enough to be pettable.  As a child I was platinum blond which changed to light brown as an adult.  It looks more blond that white to me.

Yesterdays test showed my red blood cells went from 9.4 to 11.1. So I was happy about that.  I had been eating lots of spinach, green and beans.  My whites went slightly down from 3.5 to 3.4 so I'm just holding my own there.    

Karebear--I had bronchitis 3 weeks ago and they gave me levaquin for it -- a ten day treatment. Within a day or two I felt significantly better.  What are you taking?

Take care today--March is not leaving like a lamb here on Long Island.  It's sunny, chilly in the low forties.   

GOING OUT ON HOT DATE WITH HUBBY TONIGHT TO EAT A WONDERFULLY BLOODY STEAK!! OH YEAH, NO BLOODY STEAK ALL THROUGH CHEMO, SO I AM GOING ALL OUT TONIGHT! AND SCREW THE BEER AND WINE, I'M HAVING A CAPTAIN AND 7!!!

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT LADIES!!!

(((((HUGS!!!!)))))--ANGEL

Anybody else experience headaches during radiation?

Finished chemo March 3, 2011. 12 of 35 radiation treatments will be completed today.

The back of my head just aches...

(so far, my hair is about 1/4 inch and I call it "clear!" can't wait to see what color it is since I've colored it for about 30 years! AND my finger and toe nails seem to be fine...I put a bag of frozen peas on each hand and foot during each chemo-anybody else try this?)

 AnnetteS - my RBC was as low as 2.87 at one point.  I also had an infection, was having a hard time breathing, and my fatigue was so severe I could hardly get out of bed most days.  I was sleeping about 18 hours a day.  It wasn't long after that when I had a transfusion.  Two units of RBC.

Still, even after the transfusion I'm still pretty low.  3.43 last week and 3.62 this week.   I've been supplementing with iron and trying to eat beef every day.  Even though the numbers aren't that much higher I feel SO much more energetic, can get out of bed, and am sleeping like a normal person now.  I guess small changes in the RBC counts make a big difference.

You should definitely tell your doc if you're having other symptoms and see if they recommend a transfusion.  Initially the idea of a transfusion was shocking to me, but I needed it to stay alive through this evil chemo.   

My feet are also peeling like crazy.  Anyone else having this problem?  In some ways its actually kind of nice -- all of my calouses are just coming off like butter.  Soft smooth feet!

Well reading tonight I am feeling comforted. I can really say this week I have felt incredibly fatigued. I practically slept the whole week away. My back has flu like aches... as well as my hands and occasionally my legs. Fingernails and toenails feel sore regularly. I am losing my sense of taste, and get mad at myself for eating something even if I can't taste it-almost thinking if I eat a little more I will taste it.  Because of all this I also have felt like I must be 'coming down' with something. My husband pointed out to me that the last few times before chemo, the days  seem to be the worst. I now think the only time I feel good are when i take the steroids! I have had sinus congestion too. Do you all see your regular Doctor for that, or does your Oncologist help you out?

I don't want to bring anyone down, but I feel like I need to acknowledge this here... I have been feeling incredibly sorry for myself the last few days, I hate the way I look. Maybe due to the lack of energy, but for a lack of a better way to describe it, I felt like a cancer victim! I keep telling myself I am so glad I only have 3 more chemos after tomorrow and this will be behind me soon! As I type a hot flash is creeping over me. About two to three weeks back I felt like I was coming to life again, and I was more energetic...this last week or two has kicked my butt. I will be ok, but earlier today I was really down. I think I might be having a delayed reaction to having cancer? (Emotionally) My sister said to me yesterday that my Mom seems to be in denial about me. I said back to her that the whole thing has been a surreal journey.

Nolaa, Rachel, Karebear, Spartina, Lisa, tonight I am so grateful you are here to share and compare with. I don't know how I would get through otherwise!

Karebear so glad that you will have your last chemo! Congrats!

 Big hugs to all!

I had posted earlier about leg cramps/aches starting TAC #4. Any one else having trouble with such? Mostly in my gluts, quads, and hamstrings.

Hopefortomorrow:

If the steroids are the only thing making you feel good, perhaps ask your doctor about prednazone.  I was offered that here and my oncologist said it would take away all the bone pain but there will be side effects.  Sounds like your side effects are similar to mine.  My oncologist did say that the taxol is cumulative and that side effects will intensify towards the end so that is why you feel tired and worse each time.  I am sorry you are going through a rough time.  

Emotionally, I think feeling down is a part of this journey, and when I feel down I remind myself that my emotions are also influenced by all the chemicals in my body.  I just yesterday thought, oh my goodness, I have cancer, I actually have cancer.  I looked at myself in the mirror and thought I look like it too.  It is a surreal journey and I think reality is just kicking in for me.  I have few eyelashes left, I am still bald (maybe 1/8" stubble) and I feel so tired.  I was muttering to myself about how terrible I look the other day when my older daughter said, Mom it doesn't matter how you look, we love you.  I try to remember that and hold on to that and it helps me get through the days.  Spartina I liked what you said about keeping hope in the forefront.   

hopefortomorrow -  I had a real low point in February with the fatigue and I know a big part of it was that I was fighting an infection at the same time (kid, hubby, me all had coughs, colds, etc..).  I felt awful and miserable and depressed and like the chemo would never end.

Now that the infections are gone and my energy is back it's SO much easier to be positive and think about finishing.  Just like all of the steps along the way here, when we're feeling bad or in pain, its so much harder to stay positive and focused on getting better.

Its okay to feel sorry for yourself!  We all hate the way we look!  We are all cancer victims!  And then....once you scream that to the world, think about how we're all almost cancer survivors.  And pretty soon we'll all have new a hair do and new hair color and we'll ever so slowly start to like the way we look again. 

Hang in there.  Only a few more weeks and then your body will be done with these evil meds and can heal.  Only a few more weeks (at the most!) and your energy will be back and you can move on.  

Yeah Karebear!   I am so happy for you, congratulations!