August 2011 chemo, anyone w/ me?!

Thanks so much everyone for the tips on constipation!! I'm going to try everyone!!!

I have 4 more txs and I go to Dec.6th ..I'll be one of the last ones on here..lol..

Congratulations to a bunch of you who are almost done!! What a journey this has been..

My last treatment is January 20 so I'll be around as well. I had final A/C #4 last Thursday and I'll have my Taxol #1 of 12 on November 3.

Also, I got my flu shot a few weeks ago during my off week.

Theresa

Hey, congrats Ellen, Chrys and Robyn for finishing! You guys are officially PFC! GREAT JOB! WOO HOO! Two more left for me, baby, two more.

Unfortunately, I am starting to get hot flashes at night and it's messing up my sleep. I'm not sweating, I just get really overheated and it wakes me up. So annoying. I lay in bed, half laughing and half crying at the fact that I am 32 and having hot flashes. So not cool.

RE: compression sleeve for flying. I asked my radiation onc about it and he said that it's not necessary since the cabin is pressurized.

Sorry I haven't been on too much. Taxol has been so much easier for me compared to the AC. No more feeling like I have the flu all the time! My NP said I could get a flu shot and I said I would rather not. I never get flu shots and I don't feel like starting now. I get stuck enough already, LOL. 

Ellen, Herceptin is only for those of us who are HER2+, it's not hormones and it is a drip.  At least this is as far as my limited knowledge goes!  I am hormone negative but HER2+, so I am not doing hormones at all but I will continue on with Herceptin for 12 months.

Compression sleeves for flying - I so wish they would be together on this, I hate the way they all say something different, flu shots I can make my own mind up about but flying is a different issue, I DO NOT want to risk L.  I think I will ask my onc next time even though I wont be flying for a bit, but eventually I will want to fly back to England again. I would rather wear one than not even if the risk is minimal for me. Suppose for example the plane should lose pressure then you're in trouble, well yes you might be in big trouble!! but it can happen and the plane survive.

Ellen, what is Clonazepam? I am taking Ativan, it works ok, but I am a bit concerend about addiction to it.

vtEllen...You will be receiving 5 years (or more) of Tamoxifen or any of the aromatase inhibitors i.e. Femara, Arimidex.  These are oral pills. I think that since you are HER2-, you won't get Herceptin, BUT, don't quote me.  Everyone is different. Glad you are sleeping well.  It makes a big difference, doesn't it?  I will ask about Clonazepam. 

Ellen, the Tamoxifen is for premenopausal, the AI's are for post.  I am scheduled to start Tamoxifen and then switch over.  I've been told the chemo will make me menopausal.  I'm 54. Some new research is showing that they should be given 10 years.  There is a thread on these boards somewhere concerning this info: Oncologists Saying 10 Years on Adjuvant Therapy Now! is what the thread is called.  So glad you had a wonderful send off from your chemo!

Kasi...that makes sense about the amount of nodes' pathways.  LE scares me, just all the BS you have to deal with.

Robo47..The hot flashes are awful, aren't they?  I have found that my 3 cups of coffee are making them worse.  I've cut back to 2.  Glad the sleep aid is helping.  As for constipation, I have to really stay on top of it or it really gets bad.  I will read the BC article later.  thanksfor the heads up. And tell me about the weight gain.  My MO told me that many women gain weight with BC chemo.  I actually started the Marie Osmand Favorites, weekends off Nurtasystem.  I've only managed to lose 5 pounds but I haven't gained.  When I head into tamoxifen, weight gain is a big siede effect.

Just home from DD Taxol #2. Had a mild reaction to it which is odd because the first infusion went really well. They had finished the pre-meds and the nurse had just started the Taxol IV. I got up and went to the washroom and felt fine. When I got back to the chair, I started to cough..probably because I wasn't breathing properly. The nurse heard me cough and came over to see if I was okay. I hadn't even had a chance to answer her when I felt the heat rising from my chest all the way up to the top of my head. It was so weird! The nurse saw that I was red as a beet and immedidiately stopped the IV. I felt fine again wthin a couple of minutes.

So...they paged the ONC who said to give me some more steroids. Then they started the IV again very slowly and I was fine. It just made a long day even longer. I arrived at the lab at 8 a.m. and just got home about 4 p.m.

When I see the ONC on the 31st before my next tx, I guess she'll tell me the plan for next time. The nurse said that since it was a mild reaction they would likely just give me the extra pre-med and drip the IV slowly and monitor me closely for a reaction. Hopefully that will work and I can get through the last two tx.

I'll have to ask about the compression sleeve. I do fly occasionally for work so I don't want to run into any issues.

No Taxomifen or Herceptin for me as I'm a triple negative gal!

I seem to only have hot flashes in the morning and then they go away. Very strange.

Have a great evening everyone!

I had my 3rd taxol yesterday. Only 1 left. Thank god because I think the taxol is just as bad as the A/C!!! I haven't had my flu shot yet



So all of you that have had A/C first then taxol, have you found that your thinking about sex more? When I was on the A/C I didn't want to do anything. But since I've been on the taxol, I have thought about it. I know TMI. but it is really wierd.



I take ativan and occasionally ambien 5 mg. This helps with sleep. Usually I have prob with sleep the second week. My hemoglobin has come up to 8.8. Yay. It was 8.3. My NP that saw me yesterday said when she looked at my labs, your still very anemic. I told her it was better than 8.3!!



Hopefully, everyone who has had treatments are good this week.



Love and hugs

Jennifer

Cupcakies, when did your eyelashes fall out with Taxol? I had my first tx two weeks ago and still have mine. Just wondering when/if it will happen.



Oh Carol, you're right, men just don't think sometimes. Maybe we should chop off their body parts (a la Lorena Bobbit) and see how that feels! LOL Oh...and I'm usually such a non-violent person!!!



I have managed to maintain my weight through 5 tx. Only about 2 pounds heavier than before. I think the Well Fit program I'm attending is helping a lot.

cupcakies,  the website you posted is really excellent.  that pretty girl also shows how to tie a scarf without tying a knot.  i tie my scarves like she teaches and it's really easy and cute, too.  here's the website again:

http://eyelineher.blogspot.com/2011/01/eyebrow-you-brow-part-two-with-photos.html 

Wow! I took a couple of days off from the board to recover from that last treatment and it'll take me forever to read all these posts! You guys have been busy!

I had my flu shot at my 2nd to last treatment. No problems at all. I'm glad I had it! 

When it's time to fly, I'll ask for a compression sleeve. My GP was recommending one for the cyst on my elbow BEFORE all this happened! Still no problems at all with that arm though (that I didn't have before)! I feel lucky! 

RE: Tamoxifen vs. Femara. Mary's correct. The Tamoxifen is if you are premenopausal, Femara for post. My original plan was 2 years of Tamo, then 5 Femara (I think, it might have been 5 +2), until we decided to remove my ovaries as well. Now I've got a prescription for Femara which I'll take for 5 years.

I've gained about 4 pounds through treatment. My weight is stressing me, I've got about40 lbs I'd like to lose.

Recovery this time is taking a bit! Sore toes this morning! Funny taste in my mouth! I only got out of bed long enough to shower yesterday! But this is it! I don't have to fear worse effects from the next one, because THERE IS NO NEXT ONE! 

Radiation mapping, CT, simulation, tattoos...tomorrow. Oh what fun! I'll be so glad when this is all over!

And yes, once again, men can be jerks! Thoughtless! Idiots!  

 Thanks all for the tips on Miracle Mouthwash. I've been swishing and spitting, but the onco yesterday said to swallow if the back of my throat started to hurt. Hopefully is hasn't yet. The antihistamines in the mix make me really jumpy, but it's nice to give my tongue/mouth a break from the roughness otherwise.  The example of a brillo pad is spot-on.

YaYa5 and cupcakies: that website is a good one! She's so enthusiastic about her scarves and buffs! The buffs are expensive but I love the idea of soft wool; it's going to be a long, cold, bald winter in central New York!  I think I'll get one.

Healing energy going out to everyone today for some mild (or absent!) side effects...

Oh Ellen, I am absolutely wiped. Out of bed and working today, but that's mostly because I'll run out of sick time after tomorrow's appointments, not because I really feel up to it. Not accomplish much despite the suffering! I'm whiny today, feeling sorry for myself. My blood counts do drop pretty significantly. They're at their worst late this week, over the weekend, and into the early part of next week. Hasn't stopped anything. Just scheduled port removal for 11/1. Can't wait to get rid of this thing. It's all bruised again, they stuck it Thus, Fri, and twice on Monday. Hubbie came home sick Monday night, but he's still in the doghouse, sleeping on the couch, so I'm avoiding him. He's dying to make up at this point, but I'm being stubborn. Probably because he's sick!

DD31 and I met with the geneticist on Monday. I felt terrible at the time, and didn't feel like the appointment was all that helpful. Waiting now to see if ins will pay for BRCA testing, but even results won't change my plans any, maybe just my sister and my daughters. 

Picking out the new puppy on Friday! He's 3 weeks old, so he won't come home for a few more weeks, but I can pick him out and name him! Very exciting! I think his name is going to be Jasper...Jazz. That's my way of making myself feel better. And punishing husband at the same time:-) (We'll really be okay, we've been through so much together. I'm really disappointed in him this time, but I think it sounds much worse than it is). 

Hi Everyone..havent read any posts yet just need some HELP!!!

My tongue is white and looks all bitten on the sides and my throat feels like theres a lump on the side making it really hard to swallow..What is this??? What should I take???ughhhhhh

Also, post your question on the thread for Taxotere.Carboplatin/Hercpetin, there's a lot of good advice around on that one.  People who have gone thru all of this and come out the other side.