February 2011 chemo pals

Hey Laura,

Hope you feel better- I broke out the breakthrough meds for #3EC and they helped a lot. I have compazine. I also found getting some easily digestible protein in me every few hours helped as well and slept a lot. Hope you feel better.



My sister was excited since I slept through taxol #1 today she was able to grade 46 of her 50 essays with no interruptions. It is good to have company (even sleeping )



Going to check that conference link. Was at Phelps yesterday to meets Rad ONC.



Jean

You ladies that work while on this wild rollercoaster ride are AMAZING. 

 Is anyone having vision problems on TCH?  Actually, I'm not sure it's the chemo at all.

I saw my PCP on Jan. 3 - 2 days before my abnormal mammo. - for some vision issues.  I'm thinking it could be blood pressure related.  My blood pressure went up during my last infusion.  The chemo nurse siad it was probably because I drank a TON (too embarrassed to even admit the actual amount but it was a LOT) of water during infusion.

But my blood pressure has been consistently running about 130/90.  Not *terrible*, but not great.  I'm praying that this vision issue is blood pressure related and not anything scary.  My mind has really been going some dark places. 

It's like my glasses don't work as well most of the time and other times it'd like I've been poked in the eye - those weird dots zoom in out of no where.  No headaches, dizziness, etc.

I keep remembering that I had a small mass and only a tiny 3.0mm calcification in one node.  My chest Xray was normal, no symptoms of mets anywhere else.  (Just talking myself off the ledge here....) 

On that topic, does anyone's onc do scans or other testing?  I'm fairly certain that mine typically does not.

pejkeg...definitely get your eyes checked if you are having "floaters" or spots/dots in your eye or any light flashes.I had peripheral lights flashing in my eye last year..not chemo related. Turns out it was posterior vitreous detachment.I have to watch for a veil coming down over that eye which means retinal detachment and get to medical help if that happens. These things are all treatable so get the eyes checked..may not be chemo related at all. Untreated diabetes can also cause spots in your vision and many other things.

SpecialK...can't imagine having chemo during a power failure..AND a bad storm/tornado warning..yikes...

jenn - have you tried putting some Aquaphor or Vaseline in your nostrils and mushing it around.  It helps with the soreness.  I have started putting cocoa butter on my hand and feet because they are getting dry too, but the rest of my skin seems pretty normal.

I am sorry about your tummy.  We have gone out only a few times and I am always nervous about eating publicly.  There is always that thing about paying restaurant prices for food you can't taste either, but this was a special occasion. Today at tx was the first CBC that produced a low WBC so I will be staying close to home until the next CBC.  I would be anyway just coming off the tx today, but my WBC had been so good until now.  Everything else held steady but low.  The lady next to me was turned down for tx and had to go have a platelet transfusion, yikes!  Can't imagine psyching up for tx and then being turned down or delayed - what a pain.  Fortunately a platelet transfusion is really fast (only about 20 minutes) and doesn't contain red cells so there is less of a likelihood of a reaction.

emily - yeah, today was exciting!  I woke up at 4:30 with the weather, it was hailing on the master bedroom windows.  My DH and dog and I all huddled together in the bed for a while.  My DD is in Virginia for spring break and she called at 6:00 wanting to know if we were having a tornado - like I would casually be chatting with her if we were!  I think they pushed the meds at the center because we were out in record time-5 1/2 hours - the fastest yet!

JeanH-- thanks for the advice.  So funny that we were both at Phelps yesterday.  If you're ever back on a Thursday, would be nice to meet you.  I'm there every other week.  I took a Zofran and then just didn't move all night, went to bed early.  I don't know why, but I'm afraid to take the breakthrough meds, compazine and ativan.  I'm fearful of more side effects.  It's a shame to have a full bottle of meds that I'm sure someone else without insurance can use.

SpecialK- Oh my goodness, I thought Florida weather was predictable!  So you're dealing tornado activity, lightning, hail along with chemotherapy. Sheesh.  My mother lives in South Tampa, I'll have to call and check in on her.

Pejkug3- have you talked to your onc about the vision issues?  If it only lasts around the time of infusion, then it sounds like it would be related to the chemo.  Maybe you can search online (though that's sometimes dangerous!) and see if vision problems is a common short term side effect of TCH.  Or your oncologist could advise you.  As for scans, I don't know what the normal protocol is during treatment,  PET and other scans for me were pre-chemo but I'm sure it's different for those who have neo-adjuvant (presurgery) treatment to shrink a tumor.  

Have a great day everyone.

Laura

Emily, are your eyelashes and eyebrows falling out now? I have lost a cpl hairs here and there in my eyebrows but they are holding out pretty well, I was really hoping they would make it...anyone else know about this?

Pejkug, I am ACx4 Taxol4, I have had some little vision issues, nothing to write home about or anything that really worried about, but sometimes I get some blurred vision and sometimes see some stars, I get a little dizziness now and then and I just threw that all together as another symptom...

Special K, yes, started trying some vaseline last night, we shall see!

Good morning all.  I started my first Taxol and I'm do good.  I really got myself worked up before the treatmeant so I had naesea all day.  I slept like a baby thru almost all of the 4 hours I was there.  Next time it wont take as long since I did good with the taxol.

Now me and my sissy have hade both our boobs removed.  She had cancer in to seprate times in her 30s.  I had mine 2 seperate times in my 40s.  We both did the red devil and taxol.  She did hers had 3 weeks time period  Im lucky I can do then every other week.  She also had to bulk up on steriods before treatment and during.  Im lucky I just get them in my drip. Times have changed in the last ten years.  She also didnt have all this antinauesa meds like we do now.  It was a bad few days for her I remember. 

Have any of you do BRCA testing.  I did and I am greatful for knowledge I had in how to treat my cancer.  I did test positive and I am so worried about my kids.  I just hope they have the smarts to get the testing done when they get older.  Trust me I dont let them forget about being tested.

Well if I wanna go shopping I have to do some cleaning so it looks like Im not sick.  Cause hubbs already read me a riot act about running around after chemo and then getting sick.  So keep the fingers crossed he will see it different

Possibly delayed neuropathy?  Does it burn or are you having pins and needles feeling, or pain?

EmilyinOntario Lets hope you don't have any nail issues with Taxotere...I'm on day 6 of cycle 3 and I'm just beginning to feel a slight soreness in my nails but no neuropathy. I'm having a total of 6 cycles. If you are having 3 you might get away with minimal or no issues. I am keeping my nails cut as short as possible because it seems to help i.e. hurts less if I can't hit the nails on things. For example, I started to notice the soreness while typing but after cutting them even shorter it's not bothering me now. Wishing you the best!

EmilyinOntario I'm doing TCH x 6 so I'm doing taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin x 6 and then Herceptin for a year (no other chemo combo prior)

Hi gals!  I hope all is well.  I had my Taxol Friday and am doing pretty good.  Its is so much better then the A/C.  I had a wee bit of nausea Friday, but am soing great now.  The only problem I have is the severe joint pain.  Omg no matter what I do it hurts.  I can deal good with pain, but this time its a no go.  I finally broke down and called the telenurse and got something that I hope will help.  Funny thing is I never did take the claritin with the shot and had very little pain.  This Taxol is really making up for it.  Trust me though I would rather have this severe joint pain then the other junk that comes with the A/C.  I hope all gets better for everyone soon.

EmilyinOntario I asked Lago to send you a private message with the pics because they are way back on the older posts...If you are icing you should be fine...I'm already on Taxotere #3 and I only have slight soreness-hopefully you'll be the same and only have a mild issue if any

Emily - I had read to paint the hardener on (they gave it to me in a little kit at my center) every day for seven days, then remove it with non-acetone remover, and start over.  I also paint my nails dark on the day of infusion.  I had read that interaction with light also causes problems.  I have no ridges, or lines or pain, and my nails look normal with the exception of my left ring-finger which is lifted about half-way up from the tip.  I removed my acrylic nails prior to chemo and damaged that one so I think it was compromised, but it doesn't hurt and doesn't look like Lago's pix.  I keep them very short and find that they do grow as fast as they ever did.