February 2011 chemo pals

TN recommended dietary changes are 5 servings of fruit and veggies daily, low fat, reduction of complex carbs, adding vitamins and minerals including folic acid, vitamin d, calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids. avoid caffeine and watch calorie limits. This regime can apparently reduce risk by 30%. Its all we have left for treatment ideas after radiation. But as healthy as I thought I ate before this is much more strict. (I liked pasta, chocolate and coffee) (sigh) I'd like to be cancer free even more.

Special K,

I have gotten a couple of books from Amazon on low fat diets for cancer survivors.  One of the most interesting things I learned from reading one of these books (and I think Neal Barnard MD is one of the coauthors - can't think of the name of the book right now and it is at home - I'm supposed to be working at my office! LOL) - was that fiber is very important to carry away any hormones circulating in our bodies - if we don't eat enough fiber, hormones and other toxins deposited in the bile ducts recirculate rather than get carried off with the fiber. So...I've definitely increased my fiber - which the low fat diet does automatically.  I am trying for 40 grams of fiber, 35 or less grams of fat, 50 grams or less of sugar daily - I eat a lot of beans, veggies, fruits, changed my cereal choices dramatically from granolas (high fat) to plain shredded wheat or oatmeal.  I eat bean tacos almost every day with just a tiny bit of cheese and lots of lettuce, pico de gallo and hot sauce (except the first week after chemo- no hot sauce then :-).)  This has also helped me get through chemo so far without laxatives.

I still drink some fruit juice and eat fruit. I gave up white bread, pasta and adding any sugar to anything. I figure some natural sugars must be okay since fruits are so important on the list. I drank a lot of coffee before, now a couple of cups a week. I switched to green tea for its antitoxidants. Surges in blood sugar were high on the list so small meals often is the best way to avoid irregular insulin levels. It's going to be a hard diet change long term thats for sure. I just practice at it everyday and hope it will slowly become habit to make the right choices without having to feel so deprived. Some things are actually getting easier, some are not. 

Fuzzy, SOOOO glad to see you!!!  I'm happy you are well enough to peek in on us and love your new avatar.  Really neat with the colorful bubbles, great contrast with the black bird, and then your nickname!  How cool is that!  I need a logo change, to be sure, perhaps to my actual visage. 

Food intake discussion:  Folks, I was a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for around 15 years, but that went right out the window when I started with this chemo.  My protein standbys didn't taste right to me, in particular cashews, brother and I both have a can of those next to where we lay on couch in our respective homes.  But I want you to know that Hardees chili hotdogs with onions made my heart sing.

Report on AC Chemo #4:  Talk about suffering, I was singing my own song about chemo this morning, part of it went, "When I sit down, it hurts from my neck to the ground."  The pain started in my shoulders last night and really hurt this morning, typical for Day 4 out of chemo.  I just touch the muscles and sore sore sore, but doc doubled my percocet stuff, now just feel like.... well.... crap. 

Once again, was SO glad to come here, woke up too early, and find familiar sweet voices humming and chatting along, all of us hanging onto each other for dear life.  GG 

Hi Ladies!      3rd of 4 TC tomorrow

Will be in the chair tomorrow. Treatment 3 of 4 TC (Taxotere/Cytoxin). Only one more after that, can't wait to finish!

Some of you have questions about Tacotere, so I'll share my experience with it.

I haven't had any nausea with it, so that's a plus.

My nails do feel sore so I ice them. You can bring peas to chemo.

Days 3-6 are the worst as far as being tired and bone pain. My onc cut my neulasta dose in half from 6mm to 3mm and it's been much easier! Can manage with just Alleve,

No neuropothy so far. Fingers crossed! No pun intended 

Had a rash on my hands, had to go in to have it looked at onc said it was ok and just use cortizone cream. It goes away after a few days. 

Taste buds are shot the first two weeks, they come back the third week. 

Any hair that's trying to grow back with fall out again, ugh!

Had Sinus problems, onc said to take Caritin D.

Overall not as bad as I thought it would be, but do get very tired and need naps the first two weeks.

Good luck to all you girls doing Taxotere, It's very doable. xoxo 

Fuzzylemon! I haaaaate the taste of my PORT being flushed. I want to throw up thinking about it. UGh! I had round 4 last Tuesday and I'm still miserable. I have constant chest pain. I'm not sure what's going on. I thought it was indigestion but I've taken all prescribed meds for that with no relief. I should probably call the on-call nurse. I hate to do that though. Ugh...I'm miserable.

Hope everyone else is feeling well. It makes me feel better just to know that others know exactly what I'm going through.

m1nn1e - sounds like you are hanging in and you have got it all down!  Very good!  Good luck tomorrow, then just 1 more!  Yay!

jenn - you will do fine.  It always seems like the anticipation makes it seem worse than it is.  Will they give you Benadryl on the day of?  If they do it will hopefully control an allergy along with the steroid.  I had a body rash after the last tx so now I have to do the before and after steroid too.  I think the rash was from an antibiotic but they won't let me slide so I will stay awake for 5 days and clean my house or something!

melanie - at my center they said to hold your nose when they flush the port, like put your fingers on your nose and squeeze and hold your breath, and you wont get that taste as much.  It seems to work, or possibly they are faking me out and I am falling for it.  Is it possible that your chest pain is coming from some edema?  For the first few days after tx I get a lot of random pains around my trunk/chest.  It takes about a week for it to calm down.  Lately I have noticed my hands and calves are retaining water too.

lorenar - I have to begin a car hunt too!  I went out today for the first time in several days, it was 90 degrees and the air conditioner went out in the car!  We had been talking about trading this one in (a '04 Pacfica) for the last couple of weeks, so now the decision is made for sure if it is anything other than some freeon to charge up the air.  I was most unhappy     My best friend in CA has driven Subaru Outbacks for years and won't drive anything else.  I enjoy Army Wives too but being a military wife myself I sometimes have to laugh at the way they portray some of it!  Some of it is spot on, but some is totally not!

Hugs to everyone this week!

Going this afternoon for #2 Taxol.  I will be 1/2 through Taxol after today..  Not that I am counting or anything!!!!! 

 Thinking and sending best wishes for all who are having treatments this week and hoping the SE's will be minimal for all.

Cindy

Good afternoon:) just finished first taxol - I was terrified and shed a few tears but I made out fine with no allergic reaction. Just a question anout the L Glutamine. Can I get that just at any pharmacy? Or do I need to go somewhere special? Also how many or much do I take a day.same question about B6. Totally forgot to ask my onc and yesterday when I was out I got a bit overwhelmed and gave up and came

home.

Thanks ladies, thinking of you all! We're really making progress, let's all be good to ourselves, we deserve it.

Sara

Hi girls, a few days ago I finished my last AC! I'm so happy!!! My 3rd one was hell but the last one was surprisingly easy. The only thing that I did differently is that I forced myself to drink a lot of water. I can't stand regular water because it tastes horrible. I mixed sport water with regular water and was able to drink a lot more. I hope this helps someone. I know the sick feeling is just unbearable.

I'm a bit worried about Taxol. I'll start my 1st one in few days. I'm doing it dose dense. Any advice? Praying for each of my sisters. Sending you love.

I ended up going to see the ONC this morning about my chest pain. It was blinding at times, so my mom finally made me call him. At first he was thinking reflux or anxiety as usual, but I took all my meds as he requested with no relief. So he brought me in today. Was concerned it possibly could be PE although he doubted it. So I had an echo and CT. Everything was Normal! YAY! And it's good to know that my heart is still very healthy. So now he thinks it's probably esophagitis or costochondritis....so he told me to take Tylenol. Which I did this evening and have felt suprisingly better. haha...those were some expensive tests to go through, and then try Tylenol. Geeez oh well. I feel better knowing it's nothing life threatening.

I had my blood counts checked today too and they are close to zero again. I've felt much more fatigued this time, and of course nauseated. I try everything for nausea but it is relentless with me. 2 more times...2 more times. I just have to keep telling myself that now. It's so bad now sometimes that when I even think about where I ate after chemo, I get really nauseated. I almost threw up in the car today driving past Panera. Now, I know some of this is psychological but ohhhh I can't wait until it's over.

Ok my whining is over. I hope everyone's treatments go well this week! Yay for those that are almost done!

SpecialK- You know, it might be spasms. I think that would make sense b/c it's almost like a intense throbbing for a few seconds and then subsides until the next time. I had an upper GI and scope done about 8-9 years ago b/c I already had really bad reflux at an early age, but nothing like this. Hopefully I'll get another one when I'm done with all my treatments so they can assess the damage. I really feel like chemo is affecting my GI system more than anything else. I am glad to know though it's not my heart.

Had my 2nd Taxol yesterday.  Today I am doing fine and I am sure it is from the steroids I recieved.  Last time I didn't feel anything until the 3rd day.  Last time on my left foot I had what felt like a toenail was trying to come through the skin (like you would get if you cut your toenails to short).  It only lasted 1 day and overnight but boy that was so sore it would wake me up during the night.  Now on my right foot on my heel I don't know what happened.  My heel and the back part of my foot got very red and dry and then towards the end I could see where I had a blister on the side of the foot back near the heal.  I could not walk on it as it felt like if I had chipped a bone, broken something. This lasted for over a week.  I had to walk on the toes as I could put no pressure on my heel Of course I knew I had not broken anything.  I told the Doctor but she had never heard of it happening to anyone before and told me to keep it moisturised and see what happens.  I do know that taking ibiproffin seemed to help. 

I called the radiologist today as she asked me to when I found out when my last Chemo will be (which is May 9th but whos counting).  She has set me up to go in on May 24 for my mapping and then I will find out my sehedule.  The way I figure it I will be through Radiation by the end of July...  Again not that I am counting!!!!!

 Will be thinking of all having treatments this week and hoping the go smoothly and few SE's.

 Cindy

Awwwwwwwwwwwww..we'll miss you Fuzzy...hope you can catch up with us in the evenings?