2005 ROCK-TOBER CHEMO GIRLS

Ravdeb.......it's the decadron, it's a steroid. I just posted on that other thread. I finally realized why I was soooo irritated at my mom when she was here for a month. I had 2 A/C treatments while she was here (the pre-meds are steroids) and the for 3 days after each one I took steroids (compazine,???? was that the one I took) ...

Now, Taxol, Herceptin and the pre-med is decadron. Duh. Think about what steroids do to the athletes who take it.

• Aggression
  
• Easily annoyed.
  
• restlessness
  
• depression
  
• anxiety
  
• acne
  
• increased hair growth
  
• easy bruising
  
• irregular or absent menstrual periods
  

I really seem to have a lot of peach fuzz up there!! My eyelsshes are about 1/4" now, eyebrows are still sparse. But I definitely have some hair growing in. I hope it doesn't fall out after the Taxol is over...I heard it might from the nurses. Oh well.

I took Decadron with AC and didn't have this jittery, irritable stuff. I took pills for 2 days following the treatment. But, now I get it in the IV. Whatever...either way, after I finish the Taxol, I'll be off the dang pre-meds, too!!!! :-)

I understood that this steroid is not like the ones that athletes take but I suppose that some of the side effects could be the same. It seems to last and this jittery stuff does not go away. My hands are not very steady which really bugs me since I draw and can't steady my hand for the kind of drawing that I do. Whatever..

I hope that was just a rumor, Amy, and my hair and your hair and everybody else's hair will continue to grow and grow and grow!!! I check it every day. It's still in there tight and I can actually grab onto it a bit so it IS growing. YES!!!! Interesting that we start out with the worry about when our hair will fall out, and then we make the full circle and wonder when it will grow back in!!!!! I like this part of the circle better :-)
ravdeb

thanks for the link. I read it. My hair is growing in :-)
I'm annoyed easily and I'm extremely restless... guess that is it.
6 more of these decadron IVs and I'm done.
HATE this stuff!!!!
ravdeb

HAPPY
BIRTHDAY
DEBBIE!

Hope you're having a great one!
Cheers!

Laura

Happy birthday, Debbie!

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Ravdeb, glad the link was helpful.
I, too, am at the halfway point! Only 6 more to go and then on to Herceptin only!

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Everyone, I talked to the nurse about possibly losing my hair on Taxol. She said that at this point, 5 Taxols under my belt and taking the 6th one yesterday, that it's a good indicator that my hair will not fall out again.

So, stop pulling, tugging and tweezing those hairs! They're back!

Happy Birthday Debbie!

All this talk of hair is making me hopeful. Ok I won't shave my head for another week. My eyebrows are much thinner though. Maybe everyone is different here. Wouldn't it be nice to have hair for summer?

Have had three bad days in a row from Taxotere 1 week ago. Body is very tired with muscle aches all over. Very restless at night and not sleeping more than 1 hour at a time. I am exhausted and not much use during the day except to lay on couch. I hope tomorrow is better.

Ravdeb I am cranky too, my poor Mother! First month I have had no period. Also think I am having hotflashes now. Hope I resume periods after chemo. Sad to say but I feel too young to be menopausal.

Watched too many decorating shows this week . I am starting to dream about paint and house renovations.

Fists up!

I have hot flashes, too. I think I've got menopause now for good. Seems like no periods for a while..When on AC I had periods heavy every 2 weeks. They stopped in January I think... lost track. Mind is foggy. I had terrible night sweats in December. Haven't had too many of them since.
Taxol is the pits. My arms can't lift a thing. I will carry a full laundry basket up the stairs and almost collape before reaching the top. Arms then get sore. Legs feel the same as arms. Toes are numb a bit as are finger tips.
I have my last Taxol March 16th if all goes well. But I'm getting more and more tired on this weekly thing. Wednesdays were my good day. I'm zonked today. Tomorrow is my 7th Taxol.
I am supposed to be starting a new business with a friend and we stopped working on it. Gotta do that but my mind is a fog. She wants to start working on it again so we can open next year. hmmmmmmmmm.....
ravdeb

I agree...it is accumulative and that lead feeling in legs...I can relate. I feel like I could use somebody to lift my legs sometimes...also my arms...
This will pass!!!! Right???? :-)
Hope you had a good day back at work...
chemo tomorrow for me....
ravdeb

Tracy, I have been working full time the whole time. It's very hard. When I did the A/C, I worked a 4 day those weeks (I had 4 treatments). With the Taxol, which is weekly, I try to work the 5 days, but this week I could not. I have 6 more to go.

Hang in there!

I just started back after being off for 7 months. I took a part time job for now so I do have time to rest and recoperate. It felt great to be back. I never thought I would say that. It was like I left the life of cancer and returned to to the world of normal.

I totally admire those who where able to work through chemo. There is no way that I could have done that. It is good to know that the rest of you are struggling a bit too. I have been wondering if it is just the normal fatigue caused by chemo or if there is something up with my blood counts. I go to the Onc tomorrow, so will find out for sure, but I think it is just the regular fatigue thing.

It is certainly good to be back to work. I was getting so tired of being at home with nothing to think about but BC. Now I can feel as if I am back to normal (or my new normal).

Hi ladies,
I have just returned to work full time last week... Boy, its hard. I can't get up in the mornings, I can't concentrate, I can't remember anything. Plus, I can't get my mind off this cancer thing and back to 'normal' mode.
I am constantly tired. In fact, more so now than during chemo. When will it get better already??

I am also feeling increasingly depressed... feel like i am never going to get my life and my body back. Between having no hair, extra weight and assymetrical scarred boobs, I hate what i see in the mirror these days.
Sorry for the whinge... I havent posted much lately because i just havent got anything positive or uplifting to say. I think i need to go and see a therapist, but can hardly afford it. Maybe i should up my Lexapro? I am on 10mg a day, the lowest dosage i believe.

Rads start 20 feb, and that will surely add to the stress.
arrgh!! i hate feeling like this.

take care all...
Paula

I am up every night too with this taxol mixed with the steroids. I get the steroid in the IV before the treatment (am also weekly) and I think the steroids never leave my body. I had them in pills at home after AC dose dense and I got fatigued and then it went away. I do not sleep and rarely sleep during the day, don't drink coffee, etc...and still am up all night and irritable as all *@&*

Paula... It's very difficult to return to the world of non-breast cancer when you are still inside the world of breast cancer. You need to give yourself some time. You need to find it inside you to be more patient. Maybe more pills would help, but relaxation and talking to friends who understand or to somebody, could also help. Or therapy with a therapist who specializes in cancer or breast cancer.
I know that you hate this sad feeling and you so want to return to being young and carefree again. Well, you are young but you know what I mean.

I struggle with this too and I'm still in chemo with 5 more Taxols to go and then rads. I am looking towards the future with plans to be in the States to visit family and attend a family wedding. At first, this seemed impossible to me but I've spoken to my doctor and to good friends and they all support me just going no matter how fatigued. It's a very long trip and hard when one feels good but I'm going to do this. So, I have this big plan ahead of me and have also told my new business partner I'm ready to sit down and plan for the new business we are opening.

All of this gives me motivation and helps me through the rough days, which I have plenty of.

I wish you the best and tons and tons of patience. You have the inner strength somewhere in there. Search for it and begin to practice using it. This is what I'm trying to do.
ravdeb

I do declare that i have hair
Sprouting on my head
I check in the murror every night
Before i go to bed.

Will it be curly?
Will it be straight?
Will it come back grey?
Do you know
I just dont care
I just like to look each day.

It looks just like a crew cut -
I feel like GI Jane
But after all ive been through
I really cant complain.

So HURRAY for fuzz
Goodbye to hats
Put the scarves back in the drawer.
At night i rub my head,
Close my eyes
And hope in the morning there'll be more!

There's not enough to comb yet
It doesnt need a brush
I'll sit and bide my time
There is no need to rush.

Woohoo for hair!!
Its coming back
I feel the need to shout!
It seems forever and ages
Since the blasted stuff fell out!

Debbie