April/May 2012 Chemo hang out

Hi all~

The transfusion went smoothly. My resting heart rate was down from the 100s to the upper 80s before I left and the incessant pounding in my ears stopped. My back was still sore from neulasta but it was way easier to walk out than it was to walk in.

That said, the bone pain has spread from my back outward so now I have pulsating pain from my neck to my hips. My DS wanted to walk me from the kitchen to the living room because I was walking funny and "slower than Grama". So my latest question...how long does neulasta pain usually last? I took a tylenol+ that my husband had left over from surgery in february. Hope that knocks it out soon. I have vicodin the doctors gave me when I had shingles during Taxol and will take that as a last resort for bedtime if necessary. [fyi - I had the mildest case of shingles I have ever heard of and didn't even need tylenol at that time.]

On to....mouth sores....people do not lie when they say that AC is harder, do they! I have been dreaming about creamy soups. A friend brought me yummy pea soup and bread at my transfusion today. So thoughtful [a BCO friend at that]. I picked up soup from a Brueggers Bagels drive thru on the way home. Chicken Spaetzle that is salty with a rough texture. I blended it up in my vitamix and added a little cream. Wish I had thought to throw in corn while I was at it to sweeten it a bit. I added a little honey to the one serving to combat the salty and that helped. So now I have a very creamy, yummy soup. Feeling very resourceful that I got yummy soup with very little effort. Any other ideas for easy mouth sore foods?

Melrose - totally get the burping thing. I generally do not burp much but on chemo I burp loud and often.

 Hope everybody is having a good day!!!!!!!!!!

luvBngGma - That's what my son came up with!  I used it last night and it was so much more comfortable!

Post f***ing chemo

LOL

It still amuses me, no matter how many times I say it. 

SLKsMom - I had a cold twice during Taxol. My MO said to take sudafed and mucinex on a schedule. I started later the first cold and it was much harder. The first signs of the second cold I started immediately and it was easier. The big things they will watch for are fever and making sure your lungs are clear [hence the mucinex]. All that said, my numbers were strong through taxol so it was likely easier to shake. Do you have an after hours number to call and ask?

Hope you feel better soon!!

Lynda

As much as I like PFC standing for that, I think the cleaner version is Post Final Chemo.  here is a link to the list of abbreviations.  http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/131/topic/773727?page=1#idx_1

I get the burping too, and the gas.  It seems to be better this round than the last . . .fingers crossed I didnt just jinx myself into getting more symptoms.

Hortense - I get the taste changes too.  My poor hubby doesnt really get why I will buy something one day and then not want it the next day.  I did show him my tongue with a couple of mouth sores on it and he *kindof* got it. As for the mouth sores, rinse regularly - like several times a day, or after eating with a mixture of 1cup of water, 1/2 to 1 tsp salt and 1/2 to 1 tsp baking soda.  Make it fresh each time and swish it around and cover the mouth.  It seems to help, and I think it feels good.

SLK - my docs said to call the advice line if I start to feel like I am getting sick.  I would call if I were you, and of course go to urgent care/er if your temp is over 100.4.

Lynda - glad you are doing better! 

 AFM - I am on day 4 of my last ac.  I am feeling ok despite not sleeping well, but I am done with the steroids.  I had really bad heartburn/acid stomach yesterday but today I feel better . . . I was drinking a lot of water with lemon - I knwo it sounds weird since lemon juice is acidic, but it actually turns alkaline in your body.  I am also taking pepcid.  I am looking forward to the stomach issues getting better, but Taxotere is starting to scare me.  

Hi ladies, good to see how many of us are nearing or near the end of FC. Even if other stuff lies ahead, it is good to see us getting through! My MO said my blod tests we's almost back to normal, and my way increased energy is probably because my red blod cells are almost there.



Anyone see the news report about calcium/vitaminD? I just started taking it this week (MO was stern about this, I have taken it now and ten over he years but lazy and wondered if it bothered my stomach. Now they are questioning whether it is worth it, or even not especially good or you. Heard about this?

I'm taking vitamin D, but both my MO and gyn felt I didn't need more than the 500 mg of calcium I have in my daily multivitamin (they both cited concern about the calcium and heart issue studies).  This is even despite my recent DEXA coming back with mild osteopenia (T score - 1.4).  I'm still not sure I am ok with this...but I am making sure I at least drink a big glass of milk with dinner and have cheese or yogurt at lunch or snack to get at least 1000 mg of calcium a day.  (I take my multivitamin in the a.m.)  For postmenopausal women, they recommend 1500 mg of calcium a day...seems tough to get!  Especially when your body can only absorb 500 mg at one time.

The other issue I have is my multivitamin has calcium carbonate in it, which isn't the best for me b/c I am on acid blockers for my stomach, and the carbonate type needs acid to be absorbed.  Perhaps this is why my T score is a bit low already at my age.  Been on acid blockers for about 7 years now. So, I need to find a multivitamin with calcium citrate, OR, a multivitamin without calcium and then supplement with calcium citrate separately.  If anyone has brand recommendations, would love to hear them. 

PFC 5 days & counting. Feel like crap but it is expected. Somehow I imagined being done would mean I would feel better immediately, but I always do that to myself. It just seems like I am never going to feel better, love reading about how good everyone else is doing PFC, it gives me hope. Se have been run of the mill, except this time I got pain/cramps associated w my period. Just looking forward to feeling better.

NoFear--I second what dance says.  I am 3.5 weeks PFC and I feel great!  My bloodwork came back great except low hemoglobin counts, which she said was normal after chemo.  Still waiting to hear on when I start rads.  Maybe Tuesday???

Dang, winter_flower.  You found a lot of SEs, didn't you?  I am on A/C, too.  I have my last A/C this week before switching to Taxol.  My first two treatments were worse than the third.  I did not have any stomach issues, other than heartburn.  I DID have fatigue, a steroid crash that left me with spaghetti limbs on day 5, and bone pain on days 6 and 7.  

Advil works most of the time for pain, but I wind up needing to take my hydrocodone 3 or 4 days during the two week cycle.  Zantac works for the heartburn, and I haven't had to take nausea meds.  I really hope you find some relief as you go forward with treatment.

Cottontail - wow, you are getting hit hard.  I hope your SE's improve soon!  I too saw a GI doc in the middle of tx, had endoscopy.  Fortunately, no major damage.  Just very sensitive esophagus to reflux.  

wildflower- Glad to see you.... sorry for the side effects hitting you.  Make sure you take those anti-nausea drugs with food..... Zofran on its own can cause nausea.  If your nausea drugs aren't working, call your onco on Monday to see if your meds need to be changed.  I also have Phenegran (anti-nausea) to take if I have nausea... fortunately, I never had had to take any.  FYI- Zofran can also cause constipation.

I know that the hunt for food is not easy and trying to figure out what to eat when you feel like crap makes it even harder.  I have two cancer cookbooks-- one i received from my cancer center and the other is a cookbook I found at Barnes & Noble.

• Eating Well through Cancer- Easy recipes & Recommendations During & After Treatment-- written by Holly Clegg & Gerald Miltetello, M.D. It has food lists, shopping lists, menus and is divided up by Side Effects.  (rec'd from cancer center)
• The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen- Nourishing Big Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery- written by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson. Lots of pictures

My pulse is up a little but my onco and internist are aware of that.

As for Neulasta pain, I've read you can take one Advil and one Tylenol every 4-6 hours to help with the pain.  I'm taking 24 hour regular Claritin for the Neulasta pain. I take it for 7-9 days starting the day I get the shot.  So far now pain. 

Keep drinking and drinking and drinking to keep flushing that chemo through.....  I know the first infusion regardless of the chemo regimen is a little nervewracking since one doesn't know what to expect and you can't figure out what you are supposed to feel and what you are not......  Hang in there...... Again, if you start feeling worse, don't hesitate to call your onco 24/7.  It's part of his/her job to help you get through the side effects!!!!

Thanks to everyone for the info. I can't get in touch wiht my onco unless it's working hours, all I'm gettign is useless on call physician, who just says to wiat it out and call back in 4 hrs if SEs worsen O_O

I'm treated at Stanford, is this a normal practice? I thought I'd also have to have some kind of access to MO, no? 

Glad to read we're all moving along.

Winterflow, i get the red skin, too, from AC. It lasts for about 2 weeks. Even my melasma get extra dark during this time.

I am officially 2 hours PFC!!, I truly can't believe it, I remember back in April thinking that 8 treatments and the end of July sounded like lifetimes away. I didn't think I would actually make it!



They were really cute at the infusion. My MO and her nurse were SO excited for me.



I'm pooped now b/c of the benadryl, but she said I should expect to feel better than previous times because I am not getting a Neulasta shot. Woo hoo!



I go to see her again in 4 weeks and she said I will be amazed at how much better I will feel by then. I haven't felt terrible at all during Taxol but she said I will realize how tired I really was.



Lots more to come including surgery 4 weeks from today, but for now I will celebrate what feels really like a major accomplishment. We should be so proud of ourselves.



Good luck this week everyone!



Rose