Chemo May 2011

I only have one more too!  And my mammo missed mine too!!!

Finished my AC today, feel horrible but it didn't kill me! Yeah I'm down for days now but I squeezed the last little bit in me and wrote in my blog... And updated my friends here. . Taxol starts in two weeks 12xweekly

I'm doing the taxol x12 - thanks for the input on timing of hair loss...I definitely see an increase in the amount in my brush and on the counter....it started thinning on the trial drugs but is accelerating now so I am preparing for it....

Beaglesgirl - glad you are done with the AC - I haven't done that yet but I can tell you that so far the Taxol is very tolerable so I hope you start to feel better soon and that it continues through the taxol.

I too had been told I had dense tissue - I didn't have any idea that dense tissue meant the mammograms were less able to detect cancer....that would have been nice info to have 2 years ago so I could have pushed for an ultrasound in addition to the mammogram - my sister is now doing that since my diagnosis.  

Hope everyone has a good week!

dlcw

Blonde lawyer, good news on feeling better with AC. It gives those of us starting it a little more hope. I saw my Onc today and will get an MRI between T and AC in 3 weeks. I am so anxious to do it to see progress. I have only noticed a little more shrinkage since week 3/4 when it was down 50%. I am not complaining but I asked if that meant T was no longer as effective. I was told Taxol usually does not make extremely big reductions and that the AC would probably "melt" the tumor after only 1 or 2 rounds. I politely asked why I was doing Taxol if it was not all that effective, in general. I was told these two drugs have a synergistic effect together. Hope so!!!!



I also asked about crushing sinus headaches on days 3-5. I was told to take Tylenol or Excedrin and if that did not work, they would call something into the pharmacy.



Congrats, Laura. Great news!

Blonde-so glad A/c has been better! It kicked my butt! So strange how we all have diff SEs!

mccrimmon, - my scalp was tender for several days before I started to shed, and for several days after I buzzed my head.  Maybe a week total.  Then it went back to feeling normal.  Well, as normal as it can feel with little hair!  I actually had to have my husband buzz me again on Sunday because what few hairs I have left were growing and getting annoying.  I thought they would fall out with this treatment, but not so far.

My scalp wasn't sensitive after about a week. Now it's just bald. Ug.

Hi ladies!  Today, I finished AC!  Like Beaglesgirl and LaureenRomero07, I will be moving to Taxol x 4 in 2 weeks.  I'm so looking forward to it although I feel icky right now.  Best wishes everyone. 

{{{HUGS}}}

Mccrimmon I wasn't too bad with it either. I hope your eye lashes and brows are spared - that's been much harder for me!



MarcyA congrats! No more red devil!



Taxol for me tomorrow! I'm having an I'm not strong enough to keep doing this kind of day!

Hi Sue53,

Yes I had spotting and then a full period, I am also pre-menopausal and my Onco Dr. said I probabley will not have another one,  We will see but if not Yaaaaa,  I know for sure after Chemo and Radiation one more surgery and I know there will be no more for me...  Yaaaaaa,  

Beaglegirl,  My head sweats to and at home I do not wear anything on my head, it is way to hot and I use to be a cold person always cold, not now.   I just noticed yesterday I have little red bumps on my head and they seem to itch??????

Good luck to everyone in the chair this week, I am back in it next week.  Hope the SE are very little if any.

Pam 

bkjj,

2 more to go for you!  Hang in there.  I'm not familiar with Abraxane/ Carbo.

Laureen

I am not so sure that the second round of AC is going to be better--I ended up sleeping pretty much all day yesterday--I was SO tired, I couldn't do anything else.  So, I am apprehensive about the rest of the weeks.

The good news is that my tumor is visibly shrinking--so at least I know that the AC is working!  I either have 2 or 4 more doses left depending on the response.  Then surgery, then maybe more chemo and/or radiation, then reconstruction.  It's a long road isn't it? 

Dog is doing well.  She is curled up to me snoring away right now

 My oncologist was very happy when he saw me on Monday because he saw definite reduction in the tumor.  I was unsure because the breast had been so swollen, etc.  It's definitely a roller coaster. I found out that my tumor had reach 8.7 cm during my three rounds of Taxol, so that scares me.  This thing just seems to be too darn aggressive and that terrifies me! 

My doctor wants to add another chemo! I am not sure why, but he wants to add avastin. I am having great results on ac, then I am suppose to be doing abraxane/carbo. He even suggested avastin to be added to my last dose of ac. I do not want more side effects. I will probably go for another opinion. How do you get another opinion once you have already started chemo? Do I just make an appointment with someone else? I love my doc, but worry about so much chemo, as that would be a total of 5!

Ok, so I just learned avastin is really not a chemo, but still worried about the side effects. My doctor is also kinda all over the place about surgery, I think him and my surgeon are still debating whether or not I should have it. I am thinking if the nodes respond well to chemo, that I should have the surgery, even though they can't remove the im nodes.