March 2012 chemo

kltb that cake looks yummy!  Your kiddos are so cute!

I am still feeling wonderfully energetic these days... last tx was May 2. (TCx4). When i say energetic... I mean back to how I felt 5+ years ago. The 2 years leading up to diagnosis -- I was fighting a fatigue I had never known... didnt know if it was being 44 years old or something else. Since many people my age and older were still energetic, I was skeptical about blaming age. Now it seems that it was the body fighting tumors... which are gone now = energy back. However--- based on the level of energy and wellness I am feeling --I attribute some of it to supplements and bikrim (hot) yoga -- very detoxifying!

Therefore--I want to share with all of you the supplements my naturopath has me taking as part of my post-chemo recovery.

Multivitamin - Omnivite with Iron (2 xs per day)

Thorne Research, Meriva-500, curcumin phytosome (2 xs per day)

Protocol for Life Balance, Acetyl-L carnitine 500mg (2 xs per day)

Vitanica, CoQ10 EXTRA 100mg (1 per day)

Also taking vitamin E, D, Omega-3 oils, and biotin (to support hair growth)

The above are all capsules... below are liquid tinctures which I've taken specifically for detoxing at the cellular level.

Brand is - UNDA numbered compounds

I'm taking "homeopathic preparations" #1, #20, #243

I take 5 drops of each 3 times a day -- which I've done for 4 weeks now and will be checking in with my naturopath in a few days. I was to go on this for 4 weeks and then stop and see how I feel. The idea being that I won't be on these forever.

They each have 30% alcohol -- its typical to use alcohol for tinctures.They each have a number of ingredients -- seems to be mostly a combination of herbs.

I began these about a week prior to beginning Tamoxifen, which I've now been on for about 3 weeks. Only side-effect I notice at this point is hot flushes.. which began for me during chemo after it made my period stop in March. I cannot tell if the hot flushes are worse or not with Tamoxifen... but I was getting them maybe 8-10 times a day and it seems to be a little less now (or I'm getting used to them...?) I hate them though. They are a constant reminder that my body got screwed around with. BUT-- hopeful that they will subside, perhaps from exercise and dietary influences. Still workin at it.

As far as hair--- I too always had some fuzz on top ---but from any distance other than 'up close' I looked as bald as you could be! Today marks 8.5 weeks since final treatment and my hair is just covering my head enough that I am going around 'topless' now.... and I can pinch and pull it with my fingers!! woohoo. There is more gray than before... but unless you're up close-up, it looks dark. Sadly though... my eyebrows..which lasted all through treatments, have dwindled down to a sparse few hairs post-treatment. I might try that Latisse stuff after all. Anyone know if it works for brows, or if its just for lashes?

Last bit of hair trivia -- I went out with friends last night, hatless for the first time, and at least 3 people felt the urge to rub my head... surprisingly I didn't mind (I wouldve thought I'd want to drop-kick them for that!) I just started telling them to "make a wish" lol.

Shera - great list - thank you!

lost - is that the neuropathy type feeling?

Sissy and Kam - I'll be here!  I calculated my last chemo around August 13...still haven't heard on rads.  But I know that someone has started a Summertime rads thread that a lot of people are posting on, even if they haven't started rads yet.

Had a sad reminder of how this affecting my kids last night...my oldest came in my room after midnight crying.  She said she had had a bad dream and it was about me.  I didn't probe any further but I can imagine what she meant.  Poor baby, she begged to sleep with me and l let her.  She had woken my youngest up and made her get in the bed with her so I am surprised I didn't end up with both of them but A went on back to sleep I guess.  

As a result I also ended up with two cats in the bed.  I have been trying to keep them out of there simply for my ocd germ control and the hair, etc...but they were happy as little clams all curled up so I let them stay.

Shera - thanks for the list - will be writing them down for sure!

KLTB and Sissy

I'm doing a year of Herceptin too!

The nurses are trying to persuade me to have a Hickman line or a port. No way!

Alice

Ugh, day 6 post taxol and the leg pain is almost unbearable. My knees are so painful that I have to stand up slowly or face buckling. I've sworn off the Vicodin, but have taken Ativan, mostly to relieve my stress about the pain.



Has anyone had luck with ice or heat to reduce the pain?

I noticed many of you having mood swings, sadness, etc during taxol? I am on effexor (for 7 years), havent felt that way except of course once a while I do cry, but not as bad.

Good morning ladies! Final Taxol is kicking my butt - neuropathy and horrific bone pain, but at least it's the last one. I'll definitely be hanging out here, even though I'm finished with chemo. Radiation starts in three weeks, and I'm applying for acceptance into the vaccine trial. So if I'm accepted in that (I think I will be, I meet all the eligibility criteria), I will be making an initial trip + 6 more at 3 week intervals to Washington, DC for inoculations, then 4 trips every 6 months for boosters. Alot of traveling but worth it to me. I have a friend in DC I can stay with so at least I won't have to pay for a hotel room.

kltb: Cute cupcakes, and adorable kiddos. I've thought about posting some pics on here but I'm too lazy to figure out how.

TG: Sorry about the Taxol pain. I'm having the same. MO gave me Norco and it seems to be helping.

ladyfighter: I'm taking Celexa, but it doesn't seem to be helping the mood swings and blah days. However, I suspect that if I was not taking it, I would find that it is helping some and I just didn't realize it.

shera: Thanks for the list. I'll be hanging on to it too.

Had an ok weekend. Went to dinner and to see Brave Saturday night with hubby and youngest son. My oldest is in Orlando on a mission trip until Friday, then they are coming back through Fort Walton Beach for a couple of days of R&R after working in the mission camp all week. Chemo pain kicked in Saturday night (during the movie) but I still managed to get to the supermarket yesterday and made six jars of apple pie in a jar and seven jars of dill relish last night. So, thanks to the pain medicine, I had a pretty productive weekend.

Thanks Kam - I was taking L-Glutamine and B6 complex and still having it - I will add the other 2!

Kam

I was amazed when the MO said most people gain weight during chemo!  For sure its the steroids and I know for me was eating alot of carbs during TX because it was both bland and comforting.  Lots of chocolate too.  My weight was mabey up around 5 pounds during but strangley I was up 10-12 punds 6 weeks ago and I'm now 10 weeks PFC but getting Herceptin every 3 weeks AND Tamoxifen too.  I thought "oh noooo". 2 weeks ago I weighed in before H and that 10 pounds was gone.  I thnk its a combo of more balanced eating (more protien, less carbs) losing the daily chocolate (it got that bad) and the steroids leaving my system, that things are more under control.  Mind you I could still stand to lose 20 pounds, same as I could have before DX.

One of the nurses where I'm being treated was telling me how she had to have chemo to combat lupus and she said she gained 25 pounds but has now lost it all.  She said it was the steroids which makes alot of sense.

Hi Trailgirl

My oncologist reduced my Taxotere dose by half, I think, for infusion number two as I had such severe side-effects after infusion number one (back pain, temperature of 38 degrees, low neutrophils again, carted off to hospital, low blood pressure, high heart beat of 122 beats per minute).

Would it be worth contacting your onc to see if reducing the dose might work for you too?

I had infusion number two yesterday (Monday July 2) and am only on day two but feeling much better than last time round already.

Dreading day 5 to day 10,however, but I'll keep you posted when it happens!

Best wishes

Alice