April/May 2012 Chemo hang out

LisaG85, really good news! Happy for you!



Marcia1111, we're on the same sked, im going today for my 6th of 8. But i still have one year of herceptin after, so the for me, the light is still far but definitely lit.



Good luck to all of us going for the IV this week. Minimal SE's!

Marcia1111- You are too funny.......!!!!!  

Good luck to all with the remaining rounds of chemo!!!!  Your time in chemoland will be ending soon and then it will be time to move on!!!!  Wishing minimal side effects to all.

I got back from seeing my onc & he prescribed clotrimazole lozengers. Dancer or anyone have u heard of these? I am off the diflucan & doing the nystatin, which seems to be helping better than the diflucan. He said to take the lozengers if the nystatin doesn't work. He also feels my stomach issues are anxiety related & he suggested I see a psychiatrist, which I do not entirely disagree, but there is more to my stomach issues than anxiety. Especially since the feeling in ongoing. I think he is getting tired of hearing about my stomach issues and he has no real answers for me. 

 Dancer I believe you said you take a protronix is that stronger than Prilosec? Because the Prilosec will take away the burning/acid feeling in my stomach but not the fullfeeling I have and I am not entirely sure the full feeling isn't something totally different. I was frustrated to begin with but now I am more so. Onc said the chemo is out of my body so I should not have anymore side effects to deal with. But obviously I do cause my stomach is just as it was while on chemo.

Anyone have any words of advice. I have talked to alot of people who had stomach issues just after infusion but there stomach came back around even though they had stomch issues to begin with. I have not run into someone with stomach problems after chemo has been done. Thank you everyone just want to figure this all out.

Btw, yesterday was taxotere 2 and herceptin 4. Hope im getting better at this. Today must be the steroid- fuelled honeymoon period. I hope i have prepared enough for the oncoming onslaught. Aaah, the shots this weekend...

nofear, yes I have heard of those lozenges.  I asked my doc about them, and he said since I'm still responding to the monistat tx, to keep with it for now.  It is on my list of things to ask about again if it gets worse.  It is much better than it was Monday, just a few tiny areas of yellow/white on my tongue...now if I can just keep it away - that's the hard part.  I hope the lozenges work for you!!!! 

My onc says Protonix is stronger than Prilosec.  And I have found that Nexium works better for me than Protonix, however it was tough to get insurance approval for it.  I hope your tummy issues get resolved soon!   Oh and you can do twice a day on these drugs if necessary for 6 to 8 weeks to get it under control.  Perhaps you can go see a gastroenterologist?  

I'm still on Nexium but I was on meds pre-chemo, so that is nothing new for me.  My sx are controlled, now, with meds vs. not being controlled with meds while on chemo.

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to say a very special Thank You to everyone that has given me advise during my A\C treatment and my Taxol\Herceptin treatment. I am still on taxol and herceptin.

The salt and baking soda rinse has kept me from having any mouth sores or thrush, the saline has helped my nose from bleeding, and the moisturizing has helped my nails. I am doing everything several times daily! The rinse I am doing every time after I eat something. I have salt and baking soda at home on my counter and at work. I have a nose saline by my bed and one in my purse and I have a strong moisturizing tube of lotion in my purse and by my bed.

I was a wreck when I first started with the A\C because of being so afraid of all the "Possible" side effects. This site has been the best thing that I have ever found!!! Ya'll are so AWESOME!!!! I know one day I came in here and was so depressed and crying and ya'll helped to lift my spirits!!

I can only HOPE that I come across someone in the future that is going through what I've been through, so I can tell them about all the things that help!!!! So many people I have talked to have never heard of the mouth rinse, using the saline to help and moisturizing your nails!! I will start my radiation when I'm done with my taxol. I'm not looking forward to that, but I'm praying that I will not have any problems with it. I was told that there is a special cream to get that will help tremendously. Any helpful hints on that?  I don't know the name, but I will definately find out before I start the treatments.

Hope ya'll have a wonderful evening!!!

Hi Pauletta - I feel the same way about this group!  As for rads, I've been through it already.  My recommendations - start moisturizing at least a week or two BEFORE rads starts to get ahead of the game with regards to your skin.  And during rads, the cream I used which has some studies done on it with rads is calendula cream.  I moisturized 3 to 4 times daily, took it with me everywhere.  My skin did great with rads!  I burned, but not too bad, only a few tiny blisters at the end.  I had minimal pain, this may be been because of decreased sensation post MX. 

Pauletta- Glad you checked in.  I think the cream that some have recommended is "MIADERMA" cream.  You should ask your RO and/or the radiation center if they give it their patients.  Some do.  If you can't find it locally, you can order through Amazon.  If you are looking for calendula cream, I know Whole Foods sells it.  If you haven't, check in at the Summer 2012 Rads Hangout thread.  Stacie who started this thread, also started that thread so those from this thread could travel together to Camp Rads.  Good luck with the rads!!!!

Pkate - Hope you feel better soon!!!!  You are still in nadir so you need to be careful when travelling.  I don't know if you had any blood work done yet post chemo.  Your red blood count may also be low which can also make you feel tired.  Fortunately, you can help the red blood count by eating foods that contain iron.  No, you don't have to eat liver everyday ( thank goodness because I would have gone nuts!!!  lol)  I try to eat an iron enriched cereal ( such as Total, Quaker Oats Oatmeal Squares, Cream of Wheat, Wheat Bran, Oatmeal) everyday as well as other foods.  Again, rest up before you come down here to Houston. 

Hope all is well with everyone.  Wishing those still having chemo, minimal side effects.  Wishing those who are now PFC, continued recovery and healing after chemo.

Pkate:  Congrats on being PFC.

Pauletta:  I totally agree with you too!  I seriously don't know how I could have gotten through this entire "journey" without these threads. What a great group of women!

Today is day eight PFC. I am feeling pretty good considering I have been poisoning my body for the past 4 1/2 months. I am hoping my eyebrows start coming in a little faster now. The loss of my hair was not as bad for me as the loss of my eyebrows. When those puppies went I cried.



I hope all you wonderful ladies have a beautiful day, weekend and minimal SEs for all in treatment. Hang in there!

I'm back!  I know it's been at least a month, but have been loosing my mind.  Decided to refinance the house/property and did 3 weeks of catch up clean, painting, minor repairs etc.,  for the appraisal and spent so much time over a 4 day long weekend on my feet my legs swelled, doc freaked and had to get a ultrasound to rule out blood clots - I told them I was just trying to be wonder woman and in fact it was what I thought - nothing.  Was doing all that along with working full time in the middle of a major annual project.  I seem to be the type to bite off more than I should:)  In the meantime plugging along with my TCH every 3 weeks and my Herceptin weekly - finished #4 the last of July and my blood counts hit the skids for the second time, but onc is amazed how well I bounce back on my own within a week, still no shots, yipee!  Maintaining my weight - biggest difference since May has been a 2 lb. loss one week which of course I was thrilled.  Was due for my #5 TCH today but when I got to the office, onc didn't like the echo cardio I had last Friday and got me an appointment with a cardiologist within 30 minutes, who did another echo and EKG - all is fine. Kinda bummed because you know how you mentally prepare for the long chemos and then so close to the finish line have it postponed:-(  Well that's it - catch up for me.  Yes, I am still alive and doing pretty darn good through this process.  Sorry I vanished for awhile, but there are only so many hours in a day.  Hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected, spirits are high, close to the finish line or finished for many and few if any SE's.

Test....has there really not been a post on here in almost a day?

Hi all! Just checking in as I head for my 7th and second to last Taxotere on 8/23. I wanted to ask if anyone is having nonstop "Taxo"tears? I am constantly wiping my eyes, and the tears often literally drip down my face. I have been using the Genteal gel drops but haven't noticed any less tearing. I asked the eye doctor about it and they just said it should get better when I'm PFC. I know some of us have had much worse SEs than I have, so I don't want to complain, but it is annoying.



Pauletta, glad to see you are doing okay!



Chapter4, I'm sorry it's been so difficult for you. Sending you hugs and support, and hoping at least you find a solution to your stomach problems.

Lisa2012 - it stopped 4 or 5 weeks PFC, you mean? Soggy is right! We endure what we must, but it makes it hard to read and work sometimes.

I'm 10 days PFC, and I'm feeling really good.  Every day I feel a bit stronger, and the bad taste is fading from my mouth with each passing day.  I still get tired fairly easily, and much walking or standing makes my legs feel like jelly, but as with my other SE's, that gets less and less every day.

My taxotere dose was reduced for my final chemo due to neuropathy, so I'm wondering if that was the one that gave me the worst SE's.

I think I have avoided thrush this time, too.  I have been eating yogurt daily just in case, and I know my immune system is starting to kick in because I woke up with itchy hands this morning.  (I'm allergic to dairy proteins, they make my hands break out in really bad eczema.  My hands would totally clear up the day after each chemo, then gradually worsen as my immune system came back.)  I've eaten so much yogurt this summer, I can't wait until I can stop! 

I also think I feel a lot more optimistic this go 'round, since I know I don't have to have more chemo.  Just knowing that is over really improves my outlook, and I think that is helping me overcome the physical SE's faster.  I spent the time between chemo infusions doing nothing but dreading the next one and wallowing in how terrible I felt.

Now if only my hair would get the message and start growing...