February 2011 chemo pals

Sara...congrats on finishing AC, hope you are feeling better emotionally too..I know what you mean, I am the least stressed/depressed person I know and have started to slide that way a couple times and it is so weird for me! My last AC is on Thur. then on to Taxol.

massteach...I work, I am a special ed. teacher. I get my AC treatments every other Thur and take off that day and then Fri. On treatment number three I was very tired Mon and needed to take that day off as well, but I attributed the extra tiredness to a weekend visit from my mother. (I don't know). I felt a little dizzy off and on, but nothing very noteworthy and it went away quickly each time.

Special K, how many Taxotere treatments are you on. I will be starting Taxol on April 14 and my onc said that I shouldn't have to worry about nails as I will only have 4 treatments of it...

I got my prescription for all the decadron to take before Taxol (5 at 9pm and 5 at 3 am) and forgot about how hyper that stuff makes me when I only take 2! Ahhh...I will be bouncing off the walls from April 14- end of May when I finish up!

massteach I've been working full time as a social worker in the ER of a large hospital while receiving TCH. I had my TCH#3 today. It's definitely not easy all the time and there are days that I struggle but for me personally I need work as an outlet both physically and mentally to keep me going. The routine is good for me and helps to motivate me when I'm having days that I would rather pull the covers over my head. My sister-in-law went through chemo a year ago and was not able to work because she's a classroom teacher and felt that she would not have any "downtime" when she needed it because of the structure of her job. I think that makes a difference. I am able to spend time in my office at various times throughout the day writing notes, etc so that I can get away and take a break when I feel rough. 

Please don't feel wimpy-these side effects are really tough. I'm having TCHx6 and I can't believe how awful it can be. I basically have 10 miserable days during each cycle and by the end of those 10 days I feel like I won't be able to take one more step or stand one more minute of it. It mentally and physically drains me and I just reach a breaking point. I always regroup after that but it's no small thing. I just had TCH#3 today so I know that I'm descending into that hell again right now. You have every right to feel disgusted-this really sucks!!! And you are not wimpy-you are a fighter! You'll get through this and everyone here will help. Thank goodness for the women here who can truly relate and can cheer us on when we're feeling down! Hang in there and vent when you need to

Special K   I am using L Glutamine and B6 to hopefully ward off the neuropathy.  I had read about these two things helping with neuropathy so I asked my nurse and she said yes use them. 

I am still feeling good today but feel a little more tired.  Course my 2 gradchildren were here today and they can wear you out......  I think I will sleep good tonight but we will see.  They say that day 3 which is tomorrow through day 5 you may feel like you have the flu.  Feel achey.  I will let you know if this happens to me.

Thinking of all that have treatments this week.

 Cindy

Massteach, I work when I am feeling well and I don't push myself. I am super fortunate to have a compassionate and caring workplace. Had DD AC #3 last Friday and still in misery. I'm hoping tomorrow I start feeling better as I find it's about 5-6 days of recovery time. It's like night and day when the recovery comes. I go to bed feeling like crap and it's never going to end and then I wake up feeling pretty good. Hoping that good day is tomorrow.

massteach - I work in the blood bank of the hospital where I had my BMX last Nov.  I have been on a combo of FMLA with short term disab (benefit I elected and paid for) and that ran the whole course because I had 5 surgeries between Nov and mid Jan.  When the FMLA and short term disab ended they switched me over to an American With Disabilities accommodation in the form of a leave of absence with long term disab (company benefit available to everyone).  My onc indicated that I could not work until July 1st.  My job is extremely demanding physically and attention to detail is paramount because I am dealing with patient safety (right unit of blood to right patient!)  The accommodation has to be re-certified by my company every 60 days and it is based on whether or not my absence is costing them money in the form of overtime by other employees or hardship on my co-workers.  I am very lucky that they have excess personnel right now who are waiting to go to our new lab at the VA hospital accross the street but the lab opening is delayed.  Those folks are picking up my slack.  All that being said - I don't think I could do my job effectively in the times between tx.  I feel like poo for a week and a half following tx and then have a week and a half of feeling ok.  I think I would be cumulatively more tired and run down if I was working those in-between times.  I bow down to those who are working through chemo, I know how lucky I am not to have to.

jenn- I am TCHx6, with Herceptin continuing for the year after the 6 TC are done.  You will find oncs and chemo nurses who discount the icing.  Unless you are a gambler by nature I would do it anyway.  The people who had lifting of nails (I have one lifting after 2 tx) had it happen prior to their 4th tx.

cindy - I hope your use of B6 and Glutamine works.  I have not had any neuropathy so far (knock wood) so I am going to keep doing it.  I sometimes have trouble with the Glutamine powder but I tried it in hot tea and that was better.  I tried applesauce the first time and it was too weird.  My onc described the feeling of days 3-5 as a "really bad hangover" and he was not kidding.  I hope it doesn't roll over you, but rest assured that when you come out the other side you will feel ok.   

Both are derived from the Yew tree but Taxotere has a synthetic aspect that is supposed to cause less allergic reactions.  I believe that Taxol was an American drug and Taxotere was European.

Fuzzy, perhaps you could get unpaid leave for the part of the AC that keeps you down for ten days or whatever, and then try to go to work.  Perhaps get a ride with a friend to work first day, and ask someone there to take you home, which might work into a regular way to not drive.  And I suppose the good old doctor's note might keep your job despite unpaid leave...but cash flow, I sold some of my belongings on Ebay one time (Beatles memorabilia), kept us going another month.  It was just in the attic, I kept the very best stuff.

Folks, I got all messed up with AC#3 two weeks ago, cried for a week, lost my mind big-time, so will not being doing AC#4 tomorrow.  I actually told the doc I wanted to quit and go to surgery.  He told me to take a week off and rest, and we'd talk again next week.  Also said he'd give better pain control, which partly set off mental panic (I have panic disorder from wreck). 

Question:  I got IDC, Grade 3, inflammatory clinical presentation, a large growth (est. 5cm) and three smaller ones, enlarged breast lymphs.  Total of five months before surgery, really IRKS me.  Sooooo, doc says if I stop now, recurrence is almost certain and will agressively take over op site.  Makes me wonder where I am on the percentile scale of survival.  I read somewhere inflammatory is 15 percent, early stage IDC is 85 percent, that sort of thing.  I'll ask him again (I asked him yesterday) where am I on the scale?  I'd be an idiot to stop if, say, I'm at 15 percent and no treatment might surely kill me, but with treatment might give me 30 percent, or whatever, these are just semi-imaginary numbers.

Does anybody know, that also has like me, inflammatory breast cancer as a subset of their IDC, as to just how serious a situation I might be in?  Anyway, I'm resting now, already asked doc the above question and he said nothing, proably for good reason, will be talking to social worker about my ramped-up screaming emotions and of course the question to pass onto doc again, WHERE AM I AT?  Ha!  Anybody seen me lately?  I'm home, napping, hugging dogs, trying not to think f all this, but HAD to come on here and update.  GG

Hugs dogeyed, I hope you get some rest and the answers you need. You're in my thoughts, sara

I'm here for ya GG!!  I never want to seem pushy but ... GIRL, WE GOTTA DO THIS!!  One step at a time, one day at a time, one stinkin' minute at a time!!  And we are walking this road together!  I'm very proud of you right now!! 

((((HUGS))))

Has anybody heard from CharlottesMama??  Where oh where are you my friend?

I hear ya Sukie...I missed my Dr. appt mon. and had to go yesterday bc my chemo brain is stuck on going every wed (he was not going to be in Wed). My taste buds have finally gone on a vacation which makes cherry Timbits and fruit by the foot really disappointing and my nose hurts to touch due to the amount of wipes it gets a day with the constant running.  Tomorrow is AC #4, then on to Taxol...I know I could look back but to make things easier, what was the icing recommendation...just for the first 15 mins?  I'm a little worried about the fact that I have to take 10 dexamethadron (or whateverthat's called) the night before because I think I will literally be bouncing off the walls for the next three days, but getting hives that move to close up my throat is a much scarier notion...

The kids in my class have been horrible this week (they are usually horrible, but this week they were extra), is it sad that I look forward to chemo for the couple days off?

Oh no...is it Thursday already!!  I thought it was Wednesday ... I better start nesting!  Thank you for the head's up Sukie!

fuzzy - do you go tomorrow too?  I thought you would get a kick out of the fact that an old high-school friend of my husbands sent the asparagus email to us.

fuzzy - I will be thinking of you on Friday then!  His friend is a complete lunatic who is very well-meaning.  He told my DH that he cried when he found out about my BC, I thought that was sweet.  They got together over the holidays with their other two BFF's and had a lunch.  He brought Suzanne Somers book about these guys curing cancer with coffee enemas and other bullcrap and gave it to my DH.  Well-meaning, but nuts!  He bought a farm where he grows produce up in buckets suspended from PVC pipe as a hobby.  He has fish on the farm that produce fish poo that he puts on the plants.  You would never stop laughing if you spent time with him.  As a matter of fact I think that is why my DH was friends with him - entertainment value!

Ha!  No he lives in Pompano Beach, FL and married an underwear model.