August 2011 chemo, anyone w/ me?!

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  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 326
    edited September 2011

    Hey Jenn,  I think I have much the same effects from Taxol too.  Weak and achey, but not too bad.  Nausea comes and goes a bit, nasty acid reflux/heartburn though.  My DH bought me some Prevacid instead of Prilosec, anyone know if that matters.  This one says to take it first thing in the morning before eating so I haven't used it yet.  I really need some Tums to chew on I guess.  I am using pain meds to help with the aches, just to get comfortable in bed so I can sleep. Looking forward to getting thru this this week.  I have numbness and tingling in my fingers and feet too.  As long as it goes away I can cope with that.

     I can eat, most of the time anyway, I feel hungry until I start to eat and then go off food quickly.  Still trying to drink gallons, I'll try some carbonated, I'm drinking Smart water most of the time, about all I can really stomach.

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  • summergirl1
    summergirl1 Member Posts: 182
    edited September 2011

    Had a good weekend, feeling great TX 3 on thursday and looking forward to it as I will be half way there , had my son shave of the remaining hair on my head tonight wasnt too bad as I had gradually seen me go bald so it wasnt such a shock its funny though were my hair fell out over the past 3 weeks or so my head is covered with white baby hair , dont understand this as I thought my head would be shiny bald but there is very light coloured hair all over ,Its weird , 

    Grimbol, and others who are having bad heartburn , although I havent had it any on chemo but when I was pregnant both times I had really bad heartburn and the only thing that helped me was drinking a big glass of cold milk , somehow it really helped ,

    Chrys23, sorry you are having such a rough time of it,  but hang in there you will get through. you will be finished before most of us, and it will all be just a bad memory , 

    Good luck to anyone who has TX 2mrw or this coming week ,  

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  • DebinUtah
    DebinUtah Member Posts: 75
    edited September 2011

    Grimbol--although Prilosec and Prevacid are different chemically, they're both proton pump inhibitors and do the same thing.  Let me know if you get quick relief; the Prilosec takes several days to work for me. 

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  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 326
    edited September 2011

    Thanks Summergirl, I was drinking milk but it didn't seem to really help much.  I now have Tums, we'll see how they work.  I also have the Prevacid but I can't take that until the morning.

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  • edyem
    edyem Member Posts: 38
    edited September 2011

    For all of those having problems with heartburn, indigestion, etc. I use Super Papaya Enzyme Plus by American Health. There are other manufacturers as well. I know I've mentioned it before, but I've used it for years. It's a more natural approach to the problem and since we have to take so many drugs right now, I'll take a natural alternative when I can. They provide almost immediate relief and I take them any time of the day, whenever symptoms start. You just chew a couple or let them dissolve in your mouth. If that doesn't work, I take one or 2 more and I've always gotten relief after that. They're available at Whole Foods and lots of grocery stores carry them in the healthy living section. I can't say enough about them.

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  • Robyn6463
    Robyn6463 Member Posts: 167
    edited September 2011

    Wow. Day 3 after treatment 3. I had a pretty good weekend, did lots of housework, groceries, laundry, went for a walk. Today I've fed the cats and had a shower, and I'm going back to bed. That was enough! I ache everywhere! Vision is blurry, indigestion...Blech. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day!

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  • michelleo13
    michelleo13 Member Posts: 342
    edited September 2011

    Happy Monday everyone!

    46MD, good to hear from you! I've also had more nausea since my 4th AC last Tuesday. I had really bad heartburn one night and then actually threw up. Yuck! Day 7 today and I'm still not feeling 100%.

    Chrys, hang in there. It's almost over for you! Hope you feel better.

    Capinva, sending you a big hug!  I think the horrible taste is the worst. I want to eat all the time to get rid of the taste, but nothing tastes good. I find I have 3 or 4 days before each infusion where the taste goes away and then I want to eat everything in sight but the rest of the time is yucky! Jenn, you give me hope that this will improve when I start Taxol next week!!

    Summergirl, interesting thing about milk...I"m normally a milk drinker but can't stomach the taste of it right now.

    Edyem, I'll have to look into whether Super Papaya Enzyme Plus is available in Canada. Sounds worth a try!

    Robyn, the blurry vision is making me crazy! I need new glasses but think I'll wait for a while after I'm done chemo as my vision is all out of whack.

    Have a great day everyone. Good luck to all having chemo this week, and minimal SE to all!

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  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 326
    edited September 2011

    Thanks edyem, I will look for them this morning.  I knew someone had made a comment about something being good but I didn't have the energy to read back, sorry, so thanks for writing it again. Day 6 today and still don't feel good, lot of bone aches in the night. Still it's a new day today, hope you all have a good as possible day today.

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  • vtellen
    vtellen Member Posts: 345
    edited September 2011

    Whoa, I thought it was just me!!! Soo, glad to hear you guys are having vision issues as well! I really thought it was from lying around reading so much. I am day 7 out from 3rd dose. Woke up from a 1/2 sleep at 1am last night and felt super nauseous. Chilled and very queasy. Dragged myself into my bloodwork appt this morning. Chemo nurse has me pegged, rightly I'm afraid, as a nervous nillie. She told me to up the zofram and even take it along w/ the compazine. The US on thursday for the new lumpy thing in my other breast has me freaking out a bit she thinks. Yep.

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  • vtellen
    vtellen Member Posts: 345
    edited September 2011

    Grimbol- my bone aches have been keeping me uncomfortable as well. They drift around all over. Very hard to get settled and feel "good". What do you take for them? 

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  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 326
    edited September 2011

    ha, the bones, nothing seems to help much at all.  I was complaining to my DD who works at UCLA in a lab with scientists, so she asked them what I could take - medical marujana, don't even know how to spell that!!  But apparently it really works and helps your apetitie and energy levels too. Don't know about asking the onc for a prescription for that!!  I know people take it during chemo for cancer pain but I don't feel I am that bad!!!  Is that just being 'head in the sand', we do have cnacer after all.

    I take Percocet as I use that for a chronic headache issue, but I don't honestly think it does much, maybe take the edge off.

    I woke up this morning feeling fluey too, fuzzy eyes, can't concentrate, yuck!!  I have a brain MRI this afternoon too!  Hope they can find my brain! I think it's in there somewhere.

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  • missey29
    missey29 Member Posts: 48
    edited September 2011

    OK. I just took my nail polish off this morning and have notice some dark spots appearing at the base of my cuticles. Ugh! Is that happening to anyone else, or is it just me? I've finished my 2nd out of 4 TC treatments on September 15. My next one is 10/6. I tried to keep my hands and feet in the ice cold water but was unsuccessful. It gives me a panic attack and I get short of breath. Does this happen to anyone else?

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  • Kasi
    Kasi Member Posts: 216
    edited September 2011

    Hi everyone! Hope you are all feeling well today...or as well as we can be, LOL! Hugs to all of you, September is almost over, we are getting there surely (albeit too slowly, hahaha!)

    The last and final round of AC kicked my patootie. It is Day 11 since that round and I FINALLY FEEL BETTER. No more sore mouth, no more sore throat, no more headache and head pounding when I get up to stand, no more feeling like I have the dang flu.

    I think it's fitting to finally feel better today because it's my 32nd birthday! This definitely isn't a birthday to go down in the books, LOL. I asked Hubs for a time machine for my birthday Smile 

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  • IslandGirl50
    IslandGirl50 Member Posts: 50
    edited September 2011

    OMG,I just told my husband a couple of days ago the TV was blurry thinking I needed to get my glasses/contacts changed.  Glad to hear I am not the only one with this issue.  Hope it clears up soon for all of us.

    Missey - my finger nails are turning black at the cuticle too.  It started about 4 weeks ago and is about 1/4 of the way to the tip of the nail.  But my finger nails themselves have never been stronger.  When I cut them I have to apply a lot of pressure to make the finger nail clippers cut.  Strange.

    I had AC #3 last week and it wiped me out for 7 days!  The longest recovery time yet.  I actually felt like on day 6 something was terribly wrong because it wore me out to walk from the bed to the sofa.  But I started feeling better last night about 5.  It seems like when it is time for me to feel better it happens all at once and then I am pretty much ok until the next treatment.  Is that true for anyone else - it happening at once thing?

    Now that I feel better the insomnia has returned.  I've got indigestion and hemorrhoids going on at times too.

    3 AC down and 1 more to go then on the 4 Taxol.  Tell me about the side effects you are having from Taxol please!

    Take care everyone and I wish for all of you no S/E!!!!

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  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 326
    edited September 2011

    I am getting Taxol, but also Carboplatin and Herceptin so I don't really know what se's come from which.  I do think I get bone aches from the Taxol, but they can come from the others too plus Neulasta.  Sorry for not being much help.  Not much nausea as long as I take the pills.  I find the first day after tx is good, then downhill from there for about 7-8 days then I pick up again, usually quickly.

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  • Ybrooker1
    Ybrooker1 Member Posts: 41
    edited September 2011

    Hello Ladies!



    Kasi: Happy Birthday!!!! When hubby comes back w/your time machine, can I get in too?



    Missy: I have the "black" nail thing going on too :-( I painted them pink so I don't have to look at them....it took about 3 coats, but they're pretty now.



    IslandGirl: Taxol hurts! I had my first round on Thursday. I was ok until Saturday afternoon when the joint/bone pain kicked in. Took a very hot bath and that seemed to help. Had to take Hydrocodone by Sunday, as I could no longer deal with the pain. Had some vomiting & D, but I think that probably came from the Hydrocodone. Only had to take one dose of pain killer today, so I guess it's getting better. Hope you have a better time with it.

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  • Kasi
    Kasi Member Posts: 216
    edited September 2011

    Thank you, Yvette!!! 

    Yes, you are ALL welcome in my time machine! Smile 

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  • vtellen
    vtellen Member Posts: 345
    edited September 2011

    Happy Birthday Kasi!! From now on, after this, all bdays will be even more wonderful and magical. I am glad that you are feeling at least at a little up to it! You are too young and cute to be going through this crap, dang it all!

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  • Kasi
    Kasi Member Posts: 216
    edited September 2011

    vtEllen - Thank you so much, you are way too sweet!!! Hop into my time machine, LOL! :-)

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  • summergirl1
    summergirl1 Member Posts: 182
    edited September 2011

    Kasi , HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!! Cool so glad u are feeling good for it, and yes put me in that time machine too LOL, I asked my hubbie if he could put me in a sleep induced coma until around this time next year when this is all over and the HAIR has come back, wouldnt that be nice.

     Islandgirl5  I get my TX on a thursday and am ok till sunday night ,just a little out of it from the steroids then I crash completley on sunday till around wednesday and then suddenly and miracously feel human again till next TX.. so I usually dont make any plans that first week. it seems to be the same each time.

     I feel as if I am coming down with a bad head cold tonight (sneezing and dry throat) I hope it doesnt get worse I have TX 3 on thursday and don't want it cancelled , as I have Dec 1st etched in my brain as my last chemo and dont want that to change.  

      

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  • michelleo13
    michelleo13 Member Posts: 342
    edited September 2011

    Happy Birthday, Kasi! Hope you have a great day! I think we'd all like a ride in that time machine!



    Glad to know the blurry vision isn't just me. I was getting worried!



    I haven't noticed any nail issues. Oddly, my nails seem to be growing faster than normal. When I did the Look Good, Feel Better Class they suggested massaging the cuticles with cuticle cream every day so I've started doing that.



    Islandgirl AC #3 wiped me out too. I find the same thing, I go from feeling yucky to feeling almost normal almost instantly. So far AC #4 has been a bit better - hopefully tomorrow will the the "back to normal" day.



    Summergirl, look after that cold! My daughter had a runny nose on the weekend and I was so paranoid about catching something.

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  • Chrys23
    Chrys23 Member Posts: 291
    edited September 2011

    Kasi -- Happy Birthday! I hope you are well.

    Missy: I had two rounds of Taxotere and my nails are darkening even though I iced them.

    Waving hello to everyone (Ellen, Grimbol, Dianamaps, Madismommy, Robyn, Michello -- all others too!!)

    I'm not doing too good on this Adriamycin -- had to call the on-call dr, saturday and sunday. My tongue swelled up yesterday -- looks all inflamed on the sides; have had horrid nausea, and sick stomach feeling.  Had trouble swallowing too. Today, I called the dr once again -- tongue is swollen and inflamed; face feels "tight" throat feels tight and I now have a sore throat.  I think this IS worse than Taxotere!

    I don't know if I can hold out much longer or do the last one on Oct. 7th. I just can't anymore. My body obviously doesn't deal with this stuff well and it's just too scary to keep having my throat and tongue feel tight on this stuff. I'm popping Benadryl like M&M's to keep a worsening allergic reaction at bay. 

    Was supposed to go to a "Look Good Feel Better" class tonight, but there is no way I can make it. I'm also supposed to be in a big fashion show for our town's breast cancer center in late October and tomorrow is a rehearsal night. Can't go to that either. I may have to drop out. I'm just too ill.

    Take care everyone.....xoxo

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  • 46MD
    46MD Member Posts: 25
    edited September 2011

    That better be one big assed time machine :)

    I have found that my severe bone pain comes from the neulesta shot. I had them start giving me half a shot (cuz I wanted to skip it all together, but the doc talked me into half). I take Aleve to help with it.

    Iv just had 4 A/C and my nails are fine. I wonder if Taxol will turn them black?

    In the beginning, I would feel instantly better after about 5 days, but now the cummulative effect makes the 'instant' not so instant anymore.

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  • edyem
    edyem Member Posts: 38
    edited September 2011

    Happy Birthday Kasi!!!!

    I have AC #4 on Thursday and I'm sooooo not looking forward to it.  #3 was terrible.  I felt like I had the flu for the first 10 days and it took about 15 days to get my taste buds back, even now it's not 100 percent.  I hate that just as I feel better, it's time for another treatment.  The good thing is that this time I'll have my last Neulasta shot. The bone pain from those is awful!  I'll start Taxol in 3 weeks and I'm hoping it is easier.  I don't like what I'm hearing about the nails though!  

    Although time seems to creep by, we're all getting through this! 

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  • MaryjRN
    MaryjRN Member Posts: 130
    edited September 2011

    Hi Ladies,

    Chrys...I wish this was going a lot easier for you.

     Received Taxol #1 today.  So far some body aches that I used Aleve.

    I also stopped taking the antibiotics prescribed for cellulitis becauae I don't have cellulitis now, I have shingles!  Which is what I suggested the first time I showed it to him 6 days ago.  It did not present typically; I am now on an antiviral.  I guess I should be thankful it is not on my face and into my eye.  My chemo nurse told me that that's where hers was and it went into bacterial  meningitis! Yikes!!

    Hi to everyone.  Will try to post updates on Taxol s/e.  I am on the single 12 week course.

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  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 326
    edited September 2011

    My nails are fine so far, doing Taxol.  hmm, should I really put this in print??

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  • missey29
    missey29 Member Posts: 48
    edited September 2011

    Thanks ladies. I'm painting my nails tonite. Also, much better emotionally after taking my Lorazipam and effexor.

    On another note, I had a full hysterectomy 2 years ago due to fibroid tumors and was put on hormone replacement drug, estradiol. Has anyone else taken this drug? I really do think it caused my breast cancer. I never once had issues with my birth control pills and that is why I took estradiol would be fine. Oh well, should have read the side effects more closely. Hind sight is always 20/20. 

    Just curious if anyone else had similar past with the same result. 

    As all ways, thanks for reading.

    Missey 

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  • DebinUtah
    DebinUtah Member Posts: 75
    edited September 2011

    Happy birthday, gorgeous Kasi!  I hope you look at your "before" picture everyday and remember that that's who you are--that beautiful, young carefree girl.  This is just a nasty blip on the radar of life.

    Missey--one of my dearest friends is a top oncologist. I was feeling so guilty that I'd taken bc pills for years and brought this horrible disease on myself.  She assures me that estrogen replacement or bc pills can't CAUSE cancer, although the cancer (once it's going) does feed on the estrogen. I'm reading that Anti-Cancer book someone recommended (whoever it was, thank you!!).  What an eye-opener!  I wish I could afford to buy everyone on this thread a copy--it's worth every penny. 

    Dear Chrys--my heart is aching for you.  I have a friend who simply could not tolerate her last TX, and her doctor acted as if it wasn't a big deal; he told her that the most good was probably done in the first two treatments anyway. I don't know if that's true, and I'm certainly not encouraging you to skip any treatment that might do you good, but your onc really needs to figure out if the benefit is worth the cure!  I'll be petitioning the universe for peace and strength for all of us! 

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  • Vivie
    Vivie Member Posts: 52
    edited September 2011

    Kasi , HAPPY BIRTHDAY all the way from Greece!!

     Ugh abt the vision problems y'all.I've had some fluctuating vision problems , but I've had had them for a while now..glad I'm not the only one - left eye sometimes 'shuts' down and a way to restart it is to close right one and stay like this for 5-10 mins..LOL.Didn't mention to onc as I had it before dx ...

    3rd tx today , hate it...Leaving after breakfast...ugh... I feel like I can't do it anymore ,  like I am down to my last reserves , even if I tried to do everything to keep up.

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  • Kasi
    Kasi Member Posts: 216
    edited September 2011

    Summergirl, Michelle, Chrys, Edyem, Deb & Vivie: Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! It was a GREAT day! And Deb, thank you so much for those kind words! The next birthday is gonna be even better!

    2012 is our year, girls! Hair growing back and putting this all behind us! Love to you all!! <3 

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