Is there a July 2011 group?

misswim,thanks  hope u r feeling better now dear.

keep ur strength and beautiful smiles and we will all have this journey as a memory soon.

Hugs

Home with this cold that seems to be heading for my chest now........ making me a little nervous, as I am terrified of pneumonia! Onc has me keeping an eye on my temp. Had to take the day off from work..... which is a blessing, I guess.

Lulu, my husband has his moments.....for the most part he takes really good care of me, but he travels alot for work, so he expects me to be super woman when he is away, which is hard during chemo, but I do my best. I just breath and realize I am lucky to have a partner to help me through this.

Hi ladies....the bone pain is finally better but my neuropathy is still pretty bad, so I'm going to try to be more brief today.....

Allenan - Glad your hot flashes are improving. It gives me hope!

Rabbit - Thanks for doing the walk for us! I looked online to see when it's in my area and it already passed, so I guess I need to wait till next year. I just couldn't plan for it during Taxol because I can barely walk for the week after (bones hurt too much). As for being younger, I think it's only going to help me with the bouncing back phase....I seem to get knocked down with chemo about as bad as anyone else here....I do try to force myself to exercise as much as possible though....it's hard to get started, but it does help my energy when I do.

Mavinbrook - Thanks for the well wishes. I would say that allergies tend to linger and colds do not. If you have symptoms past a week and no improvement, it's more likely to be allergies than a cold.

Snoopy - Hoping the next 6 weeks of rads goes quickly for you. And tell me about those hot flashes! I woke up to a wet pillow several times last night! Even my head is sweating bullets!

Yooper - You're almost there!

Dexxy/khs113- Is the muscle soreness chemo related or rads related? I just want to know what I could be in for....the muscle and bone pain got pretty bad during chemo but it would go away week 2. I was hoping this meant they would STAY away!

Cathy - Hope you're doing okay with this treatment.

J-Bug - Congrats on being done with chemo! Of course, I'm sure you're still dealing with the effects today. As far as surgery goes, I personally felt like chemo was harder.  With surgery, it is really rough at first, but once you start improving, you just KEEP improving, whereas with chemo you get constant setbacks (every time you start to feel better, it's time for another knock down). I only had one side done though, so it may be different for you, especially with it coming AFTER chemo. And if you're considering DIEP, it's a totally different story. I have been told by those who went through it that it's incredibly painful. I would think it's going to add to your recovery time because other body parts are involved. As for hair, well I never actually lost ALL of it...and it started growing back on Taxol though it's been incredibly slow. I think within a month after the last chemo it should really start coming back.....we'll see...

Misswim - Sorry you've been feeling so lousy. I try to fight my colds naturally....high vitamin C and vitamin A (carrot juice) doses at the first onset...I haven't experienced a really nasty cold in over 2 years because of it.

Lulu - Welcome. I have no FEC experience...mine was ACX4 and Taxol X 4, but there are definitely others here who can help you through FEC. I have been fortunate to have a husband who is extremely supportive. He works from home though (working on a startup), so I have him around all the time. It's been one of the positives of this cancer experience. I have never spent so much time with him and we've gotten stronger as a couple. I know that's not the case for everyone, so I do feel truly blessed.

Cshell - you're almost there! I also go bald at home and bandana/scarf outside....I have 2 donated wigs from the American Cancer Society but never really wore them. I am going to give them back. And I think it's a great idea to take some pics to remember this experience. All experiences (good and bad) help shape who we are.

I hope I didn't miss anyone....it hurts so much to type but I really wanted to reply to everyone.

Thanks all, but honestly, I have been feeling pretty good the last few days, I have had low energy, but my feet have healed up pretty well, the bone pain is gone (it was gone after a week or so) my hands are peeling but not sore anymore. My upper GI problems stopped after like 4-5 days. 

Today I had to get my tooth pulled, chemo eats your teeth I swear! The crown they took off a few months ago, that tooth got very loose, the oral surgeon told me he had to take all 3 roots out one at a time, no wonder I am so sore now!  He said he had to send off a piece of tissue to pathology because of my breast cancer, there was some necrotic tissue there, and to be safe he wanted to make sure it wasn't malignant, a bit freaky but I'm not going to worry about it, he said he wasn't. 

misswim, can you tell me what the immune system does on weekly taxol? When do you make plans to get out? I mean, when I was doing it every 3 weeks, I knew the first few days after chemo and the last several days before chemo, were the best, now that it's weekly, does that mean I am stuck in the house for 9 weeks? LOL

Also, anyone know if it's worth icing my hands and feet on taxol? I know with docetaxel they recommended that....

kk11 so glad the bone pain has let up, I am on day 19 of the docetaxel and the last few days my fingernails have actually started to not hurt as bad, my toes still do...the numbing is very slight. 

love you all xoxoxo 

Hi kk11--- I think the muscle soreness is probably related to the chemo as it's working its way through/out the system. I'm only 3 rad treatments in and have had the muscle soreness for a couple of weeks. But I'm happy to report that 4 weeks after my last treatment I'm starting to feel much better. I'm not feeling as bone tired and can get through the day without needing a nap. Have started some moderate exercise. Rabbit, I really admire you being able to do the walk. Helped a friend bake cookies all afternoon after radiation treatment plus ran errands. Woohoo! Ladies, there's light at the end of the tunnel. May your chemo days go by quickly. Lulu glad to have you with us.Taping 5 as we speak.

khs113- Thank you for posting about your rads.... Keep em coming!!!! Need to make the dreaded decision VERY soon!

Hi Everyone have not been posting much as day 15 of taxatore still feeling rough I have not been out of the house in over 2 weeks.Not looking foward to # 5 on Monday but looking foward to only 2 treatment left.Rabbit hope the walk was alot fun and thank you for taking us all along with you good luck @ the dentist tommorow will be thinking of you .Misswim sorry you are feeling sick hope it passes soon.Talking about wigs I have four and cant stand them i always go tolpless @ home hat when I go shoping only if I go to the local resturant/bar I wear the wig because they are all gossipers there but I have heard the word is out on the breast cancer lol.Wecome to the new people that have joined this is the best site great bunch of ladies here and we will answer any of your questions there is never a dumb question.Congra's J Bug finishing chemo I hope it  is all uphill from here.We will all look back in years from now and this journey wont have been so bad it will  only be  a very fauge memory.I know my friend is 5 years out and she says you forget all the pain and S/E.Enjoy the rest of your day Everyone. Hugs.

Just popping in to say I am feeling pretty good....the area where the tooth was is not too bad, last night it was sore, today, much better. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that I do not end up with an infection, the oral surgeon switched me from the cipro to penicillin. 

Does anyone know if icing my hands and feet will help with the taxol? I know I was told it would with docetaxel but being switched to taxol, starting tomorrow....not sure if I need to bring ice packs.

hugs and kisses to all!  

I also want to add that WE ARE ALL AMAZING! Everyone keeps saying I'm amazing, I am just as amazing as you all, seriously, some of you have been through much worse, I am just a whiner, but I have not needed a transfusion, I have escaped pneumonia and other horrible problems some of you have had. 

WE ARE SURVIVORS AND WE ARE ALL AMAZING

xoxoxoxo 

Rabbit,

I have read other threads. I don't recall seeing anyone differentiate that only taxotere does and taxol does not cause the nail problems etc. I believe a fair number of people reported icing fingers helped and others not. Probably similar to the polar cap working for some and not others- an individual thing. Good luck tomorrow. Certainly hope taxol is better for you.

I think everyone here is amazing too. Some of you have worked throughout chemo and I don't know how you've done it. I returned to work part time but only after finishing AC and I get to do it from home. I feel lucky that I've had that ability. Others have faced a number of challenges that we just don't need on top of all of this.

I spoke too soon about the bone pain being gone....it doesn't bother me when I don't "move" lol! I tried playing tennis yesterday and while the other times on Taxol I was able to play tennis on day 8 of the cycle, this time I felt VERY weak like my legs had no strength and my bones hurt! I think the neuropathy might have something to do with it. Before it was just in the tips of my fingers and toes, but now it's spreading throughout my hand and feet! Things that are HOT just feel WARM. Anyone else experiencing that? Think I'll stick to swimming today....

My first dose of taxol was totally uneventful, wooohoooo. They got good blood return on the first try, that hasn't happened in 3-4 tx. I used the sancuso patch, had benedryl, another 20mg of steroids and 1mg of ativan as premeds, she dripped the taxol over 1.5 hours for the first time, I felt good all day. I've got 60 mg of steroids in me in the last 25 hours and I am FLYING! I am worried about the "steroid crash" coming soon...but I have a feeling I will have minimal side effects.

kk11, I will let you know how I go with bone pain and neuropathy...

shinypop,  I am so well, someone will have to scrape me off the ceilings soon! LOL Hope you are feeling well!!

xoxoxo 

Here is my week in review:

Mon- Weds - Streph, I.V. antibiotics, Fluids at Cancer Center

Weds night into Thursday- Got the dreaded fever, started vomiting, doubled over in pain- spent 13 hours at the ER- and 4 x-rays, one abdominal ultrasound and a chin to toes CT scan- I have a bit of fluid in the lungs and an inflamed upper instestine. But, nothing more serious, and most importantly, no cancer, nada, in my body, I wasn't expecting to get a CT scan today, but being told by my ONC that the CT was completley unremakable and there was no metastatic cancer anywhere (which wasn't what they were looking for, they were worried about gallbladder/appendix/kidneys). She said I got a two in one- figuring out where my pain was and knowing I am NED as I end chemo next week. That feels awesome!

Rabbit- I think you'll finf Taxol SOOO much easier than the doctaxel. I have finger bed pain for a few days after but it goes away. No reall bone pain, just sort of weird muscle aches and occasional shots like electricity in weird places, like my my mast scars, my snb scar, and lower legs. Fatigue, but nothing too terrible! Glad it went well.

 KK-I totally get the week in the knees thing. Whe I get up in the morning, I feel like my legs are jello. And I agree with the nueropathy- I held a very hot cup of coffe the other day and it felt totally warm- till I took a sip and it was scalding! Hope it does not last!

Hope all are looking forward to having a SE free weekend.

hi Snoopy, glad you are doing fairly well  

misswim, you poor thing, you are just getting the short end of the stick so often with getting sick and hospital visits, so sorry! Good news like you said, no cancer anywhere else in your body, that's awesome news!  

My big toe nails are soooo sore, that was from the docetaxel, I couldn't even put my tennis shoes on a few days ago, still can't, the tops of my toe nails are so tender, when I am in bed and I lie on my back, with my toes straight up, just the sheets laying on the tops of my toes is painful and I have to turn to my side or bend my knee to get the sheet off my toes. It's been over 3 weeks since the first and only docetaxel, and it's actually getting worse, don't get it. I sure hope the taxol doesn't make it worse, it can't get much worse.

Another weird thing, my hair on my head is like a peach fuzz for the first time since chemo started, wondering of the taxol will make it all fall out again or if it will slowly start to grow back? Maybe the FEC was the hair killer??

J-Bug, I am sorry you had such a tough time with the last taxol, but at least you have that under your belt now! And please keep us updated on the surgery and what is decided, I wish you the best of luck with it all!

I am feeling pretty good still the night after my first taxol, waiting for the bone pain to hit...wondering when the steroid crash will set in, I've never done the steroids in such a short period of time, it was 3 days and now it's one day, does the crash hit sooner??

xoxoxoxo to all