Chemo May 2011

Congrats Tracy on being done with the FEC! I just finished 6 AC. What is the F in the FEC? The same thing in cmf?

MamaV, that is a perfect quote from your DD, how sweet she is!

Cyborg-hope you had a great time in Vegas!

I had a really low day yesterday, but much better today. Still a bit nauseous, oh I better go take my zofran...

I am having horrible headaches this time around (I've had them with the past rounds, but not nearly this bad).  They seem to get progressively worse as the day goes on.  I'm having acupuncture today and hopefully that will be able to help because I am miserable!  I'm also pretty nauseous.

I saw my MRI report and the outside dimensions of my tumor have actually gotten bigger--it's now 9.8 cm!  The inside appears liquid, so it's hard to tell if how much shrinkage or growth has happened.  I meet with the surgeon on Thursday--wish me luck, I'm overly nervous for some reason!  

Marybe-glad to see you here, and glad to hear that your se's are not too bad. I hope the next plan works for your liver tumors. Do you have liver pain or nausea? I hope not, I hope you are feeling well. Glad to hear your bone mets are stable. It sounds like you are staying more active than me! Chemo kicked my butt this time. Sending big hugs to you!

Blondelawyer, I feel for you, headaches suck big time! Strange about the tumor growth and liquid, maybe the liquid pushed the outside dimensions out more? I will be at swedish thursday for follow up appointment also, wonder if we have crossed paths before! I wish you luck with your surgeon appointment.

Candice-glad you are having less pain today. Yeah, food tastes pretty yucky to me right now and my mouth is sore, but no sores thank goodness. I have been doing my saltwater rinses, so hopefully that will prevent anything.

Since I have 4 weeks off before my next chemo I want to try to be as healthy as possible. Exercising and eating good to build up my stamina for my next cycle of chemo, although this week is pretty much shot so that leaves 3 weeks of good behavior.

bkj66 - I live on them!

MamaV. LOVE IT!! 

BKJ66- nothing with cheese even sounds good. But I did go to basket robbins ice cream and got some mint chocolate chip (had taste first to see if it had taste) and that was good. Better then the steak I had earlier (steak was good, but tasted like paper to me   )

I am not sure if it is nap time or time to read, but either way it it time to get off the computer.

Take care everyone

Candice

Hi Marybe. Sorry about your new tumors. That just plain sucks. I read a post from a member who went to UCLA and had a lung biopsy done to verify breast cancer but also for the purpose of conducting chemo sensitivity testing. It's an interesting concept, as this person claimed that several chemo's were deemed ineffective and several were effective. Thus, they opted for an effective regimen. I know that petri dish testing is probably not factoring in all of the things that go on inside the body's metabolic process but I just thought I'd pass this on. It just seems so much more logical to me than the crapshoot that is chemo regimen selection. I personally went and got 3 opinions, which were all different. That is a bit dizzying. It just seems that we generally, wind up with the drugs the cancer center prefers, unless there are pre-existing cardio problems that preclude certain drugs for some.



Bjk66, enjoy your time off of chemo. It's a good time to get everything done that you need to
and maybe, have a little get-away.

Blondelawyer, WTF (sorry if expletive offends anyone)?? 2 chemo's and the POS is growing? Ugh. You must be so disappointed. What next? Do you think they will change your regimen again? Also, if the headaches were anything like mine, my heart goes out to you. I tried
the OTC drugs and none of them cracked it. So, the Onc's office prescribed Vicodin, which worked
like a charm. Wishing you relief soon. Good luck with the surgeon.



I had an MRI yesterday to verify tumor shrinkage. I should have the results in a few days.
Getting in that tube is horrible. I took half an Ativan before and it seemed to help.



I start AC Tuesday and got the Emend and Neulasta in the mail today. Yippee. NOT!! I am
not worried about administering myself the shot. But, can anyone tell me if Emend was enough to
stop the nausea and vomiting? Or, did you also need to add Zofran and Ativan?



Two ladies told me today that they actually preferred the AC over the Taxol (due to aches and

neuropathy). They said AC only caused them fatigue. I hope it's true for me. Ugh.

bkj66  The F in FEC is Fluorouracil (5FU), I'm so glad i'm done with that. Major chemo brian!

My little doggie is snoring! He just makes me happy! I still feel like crap from my last ac on fri/sat, so 4 days post treatment. I hope the abraxane/carbo is easier, but for some reason I have my doubts. I was having a vivid dream last night that I had to pee so bad and couldn't find a bathroom. Just when I found a bucket to go in I woke up thank goodness! Have any of you had those dreams, and then wake up just in time to run to the bathroom? Went back to sleep after only to dream about losing my car in a snowy parking lot, it was so cold and I couldn't find it, plus I had my little doggie with me who was freezing. I haven't had vivid dreams in a long time, i must have been cold!

Patriotic, was it a breast mri or just mri? My doc did a ct scan on me, which I hear isn't as good at detecting shrinkage so I wonder why he picked ct scan. I am getting another pet/ct scan in a week or so to see if there is shrinkage and to make sure no new things have popped up. Trying not to think about that! Hope you find out you have shrinkage, is it your first scan since chemo?

Laureen,

Pain from taxol is controllable through vicodin, I try to take as little as possible because it does a number on my belly ... Well you you the drill. I have more energy but then I can't seem to follow through. Seems I just think I do because I don't feel so bad. It's going be awhile before I have real stamina.



Had my eye dr appt yesterday and she found my eyes to be fine although my Rx has changed significantly. I could have told ya that! I can't see! she thinks it's due to the meds I'm on and can not say if it will adjust back or stay this bad.



I don't know whether to fork out the cash for glasses for 10 more weeks of treatment, which my eyes could get worse or stay the same or go back to normal.



Getting depressed..

Blonde lawyer, I am thinking of you. You must be really nervous. Good luck with last AC and surgery consult.

beaglesgirlm

thanks for the update.  i took Norco for my pain from Taxol last week.  Must have taken more Norco this time than when I had mastectomy and axillary dissection!  The body pains were just so really bad.

I didn't have vision problems.  Do you have neuropathy?  My finger and toes are now numb and tingling, since last week.  It is tolerable and I hope it remains minimal sicne I have 3 more Taxols to go. 

I go back to the chair next Monday.  I'm on every 2 weeks regimen.  Will keep you posted.

Laureen

For anyone interested in learning about chemotherapy sensitivity testing:



http://breastcancer.about.com/od/newlydiagnosed/a/chemosensitive.htm

Beaglesgirl - I am having the same debate about vision.  I know my eyes have changed, am due for an exam, and on my last set of contacts.  Can't get more without an eye exam.  I am debating whether to go in now, or wait until my chemo has ended.  My vision changes during the first two weeks of a chemo treatment. 

Fortunately, my last treatment is next week.  I hope my contacts hold up for a little while longer.  LOL.

blondelawyer, glad you have a plan now for surgery, do you feel a bit relieved? It seems like it is moving so fast for you. Not so fast for me! I still have 3 months of chemo starting on Aug. 12th, so with the 4 week break, a chemo total of 7 months! Yuck! My mo also said no reconstruction for 1 year, I about flipped! Surgeon had oringinally said about 6 months, but mo doesn't want me to do it that soon. So with finishing chemo, then waiting a few weeks, that puts me out to Nov/December for surgery.