February 2011 chemo pals

1…3031333536…91

Comments

  • EmilyInOntario
    EmilyInOntario Member Posts: 626
    edited March 2011

    I've been on heartburn meds since round one of chemo. Tried a day or two without them this round but big mistake. I had never had heartburn like that before so glad to have a drug to take. Mine is called rabeprazole. As for pills, with the antibiotics I'm taking I have to keep track of about 10 pills a day...I HAVE to write them down because otherwise I'd be lost. I have always hated taking pills but a necessary evil right now I guess. And the being tired is really frustrating..so much I'd like to do if I had the energy.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EmilyInOntario
    EmilyInOntario Member Posts: 626
    edited March 2011

    oops..double post..had to delete

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Melanie_Ann
    Melanie_Ann Member Posts: 414
    edited March 2011

    The gift that keeps on giving...I've now experience my first migraine. OUCH!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • christine47
    christine47 Member Posts: 1,454
    edited March 2011

    Hey TAC sister, hope you feel better soon!  Tell that body, no more SEs!  You will soon be at the 2/3 point.  Hang in there.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ruffy
    ruffy Member Posts: 141
    edited September 2011

    Is anyone going tomorrow for treatment? Tomorrow for me will be #4 AC and I think I'm freaked out the most I've been yet:( I don't know why, I should be positive and looking forward to it being my last AC. :( but instead i'm nervous and I'm sad.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thefuzzylemon
    thefuzzylemon Member Posts: 2,630
    edited March 2011

    Ruffolo - My #3 freaked me out pretty bad.  I cried at my doctor visit and all the way thru "the chair" ... until the 50mg of benedryl they gave me kicked in and I fell asleep.  It gets to me that I'm purposely injecting poison and making myself so sick and all the crap that's about to happen for the next week ... ugh!  I've heard it's called Situational Depression ... I am normally the happiest damn person you'd ever see and this chemo thing is totally messing with me. 

    But, we have to be strong, take our medicine and continue to move forward.  I know the women here help me through every single day and you are most definitley in the right place.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    Ruffolo1  I am going for treatment tomorrow.  I finished A/C and will be starting Taxol tomorrow.  I am scared of the unkinown.  They say that Taxol is easier on the body and I sure hope they are right....

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ruffy
    ruffy Member Posts: 141
    edited September 2011

    Thx fuzzylemon for the encouragement. I was the same, a very happy, easy going, life lover...now I'm all over the map. It's crazy. I hope once chemo is over I level out a bit. For my sake and those around me.

    Cindy, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, from everything I've heard taxol is much easier. Let's cross our fingers anyways, but both my nurse and say the AC is the tougher of the two. You're dose dense right? I think I'm behind you two weeks. Well tmrw at this time our anxiety should be behind us for a bit anyways. That I'm looking forward to. :) all the best tmrw, again I'll be sending out positive thoughts for you.

    Sara

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    Thank Sara.   Yes I am dose dense.  I have heard that Taxol is easier too..  I will be thinking of you tomorrow too.  We can do this. 

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sukie10
    sukie10 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2011

    Okay, Got the sleep I needed and the heartburn under control. Feeling a little more like myself. This really is a crazy ride. 

    Cindy best of luck tomorrow. Your the first to move onto the Taxol, I think, so we are all going to want to know,( or maybe not.) Fingers crossed it is easier.

    Thanks again for letting me vent. I lost it for a minute but we are all Survivors!! At the end of this, flowers will smell better, sunny days will be brighter, and people we love will be dearer than ever before. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thefuzzylemon
    thefuzzylemon Member Posts: 2,630
    edited March 2011

    Ruffolo - I'll be thinking about ya tomorrow ... Get another one under your belt ... I hope you are able to get a ton of sleep tonight!  All ya gotta do is show up!

    P.S.  I will need to be told that on Thursday Wink

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ruffy
    ruffy Member Posts: 141
    edited March 2011

    Thx fuzzylemon...your caring words are helping me gather up the courage for tmrw. Thank you and I'll be in good spirits by thursday to give you your reminder. ;)

    Have a great night.

    Sara

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    Thanks Sukie10

     I have taken my 5 Dexamethasone that they wanted me to take before Infussion today.  I think they give me more in my IV too.  They tell me I may be wide awake tonight.  I sure hope not, I need my sleep.....

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sukie10
    sukie10 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2011

    Yikes 5 dexamethasone!! I'm wired with the 2 I take now. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    Sukie10  I know...  We will see what happens...  Also to answer your question.  Yes I am dose dense.

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    see it is effecting me already...  I already answered the question about dose dense as it was Sara that asked and not Sukie10.   It is going to be a long day I think...

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Melanie_Ann
    Melanie_Ann Member Posts: 414
    edited March 2011

    Good Luck today to those having chemo! I'll be thinking of you!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    I am home from my 1st Taxol.  Everything went fine.  Had lots of steroids, Benadryl, Pepcid, and some ofther things I can't remember right now and of course the Taxol.  She told me if I was going to react to the Taxol it would happen within the first minute or so.  So she satyed with me for about 5 minutes and nothing happened so I am good to stay on Taxol.  The nurse said that usually days 3 to 5 you feel like you have the flu.  I go back next week to see how my counts are.  She said Naida is about day 7, 

    I am so glad to be home though and have the first one over with.  I went at 9:30 this morning and got done at 2:30.  The infussion was from about 10:30 to 2:30 today but she said next time it should not be as long.  It actually went by pretty fast.

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EmilyInOntario
    EmilyInOntario Member Posts: 626
    edited March 2011

    Cindy...glad everything went smoothly for you. Keep us posted on how you are feeling.Who is next for Taxol/taxotere?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    Thanks Emily   Another thing my nurse told me was that I will probably be wide awake at midnight tonight because of all the steroids.  I have some medicine that she told me to take to help me sleep.  So lots of posts please so I have something to do at midnight if I can't sleep...  Hahaha

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sukie10
    sukie10 Member Posts: 96
    edited March 2011

     Cindy, Sounds like everything went pretty smoothly so far. I hope your not up reading this but with all those steroids you probably are. 

    Ruffolo, thinking about you too! Congrats on making it through your last AC. Half of this battle is behind you. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thefuzzylemon
    thefuzzylemon Member Posts: 2,630
    edited March 2011

    Charolettesmama....where are ya? Just thinking about you!!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • crog234
    crog234 Member Posts: 801
    edited March 2011

    Sukie10.   Nope I was not up reading your post..   I took one of my pills that I had for the A/C chemo (nurse reccomended doing this) and was able to sleep fairly well.  Woke up about 4 times to go to the bathroom but was able to go back to sleep.  Still pretty wired and energenic today but have a feeling as the day goes on that feeling will be leaving me.  Days 3 4 and 5 are suppose to be the flue like feeling days.  I will let you know what tomorrow brings.

    Cindy

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ruffy
    ruffy Member Posts: 141
    edited March 2011

    Cindy, glad you made it through taxol and was able to sleep well:) I was thinking of you yesterday. My last AC went well - I'm still relaxing in bed today though. My 3 year old is with my mom so im taking advantage of my time, lol. Hopefully my SE stay away from me this time. And you too. Let us know how it goes for you

    Tanks Sukie for your encouragement. we're all making progress ladies and have come a far way since beginning of february. We're doing it!!

    Sara

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited March 2011

    I can't believe that we all started in Feb and it is already the end of Mar!  Sometimes it seems like time is moving more slowly than ever but look how far we have all come! 

    Good luck to dragonfly today for #3.  I am crossing my fingers that your SE are mild and manageable, either way we're here, right?

    Good luck to LisaGH tomorrow too.

    Cindy and Sara - glad you are hanging in.

    Fuzzy - are you on Thurs or Fri?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EmilyInOntario
    EmilyInOntario Member Posts: 626
    edited March 2011

    Since my memory and concentraion have become so poor on this chemo I can't rememeber who is doing what and when this week I'll just wish everyone well. Don't want to embarass myself by asking everytime I post..*L*

    My taxotere is Friday..I've probably mentioned that 6 or 7 times..can't remember..*L*

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mamaoftwo
    mamaoftwo Member Posts: 267
    edited March 2011

    Good luck everyone who is going tomorrow.  That's great, Cindy, that you don't have side effects yet from taxol.  Good that you're keeping us posted, as many of us I'm sure have taxol in our futures.  I heard about possible numbness in fingers and toes and am worried about that.

    My EC #3 is on Thursday.  Such a shame to get back to a chemo fatigue because I'm feeling so normal and energetic, but fortunately the fatigue fades after a week.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited March 2011

    Some (myself included) have taken B6, L-Glutamine and L-Acetyl Carnitine to ward off neuropathy from Taxotere.  I have not experienced any but it can come at any time during the process.  My Mom had terrible problems with it, eventually feet, legs and hands were pins and needles and numb from 2 years of Methotrexate for a degenerative neuromuscular disorder.  It is probably the SE I am most afraid of because of her experience, and hers never went away.  Check with your onc before taking any of those items - mine had no problem with it.

    Don't forget about the finger/toe icing also.  I now have one fingernail lifting (ring finger on left hand).

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • massteach
    massteach Member Posts: 5
    edited March 2011

    I am very late to this board.  I'm curious about one particular thing - how much do all of you work?  My 3rd chemo was last Thurs. and I'm been AWOL from work since then.  Can't work pt and it's easier to call in sick than to try to leave after getting there.

    Has anyone had trouble with dizziness?  I'm not sure if I should drive my car?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thefuzzylemon
    thefuzzylemon Member Posts: 2,630
    edited March 2011

    Hello Massteach  - I have heard that many women work right thru chemo.  I have yet to return to work but I HAVE to in about a week and a half - shortly after round four...I have no idea how I will physically or mentally be able to do it but I have to try ... I will also be using sick days as I am not allowed part time work (salaried) and my 3 months of Federal Granted Leave is almost over...sad sad day...

    I have dizziness just about every day - always on the bad days, all day long, and usually some on the good days.  My work requires me to travel extensively (overnights are a regular too).  You should definitely NOT drive a car if your dizzy ...

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories