Sept 2012 chemo

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  • Amy4978
    Amy4978 Member Posts: 473
    edited October 2012

    Going in for my last A/C treatment this morning... Then Halloween begins taxol Fun Fun!

    Hope all of you are doing well Laughing

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  • kidsandlabs
    kidsandlabs Member Posts: 138
    edited October 2012

    Waiting on my lab work, then chemo. These days are so long.

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  • aic
    aic Member Posts: 417
    edited October 2012

    Good vibes for those of you getting treatment today!

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  • amylovesbubby
    amylovesbubby Member Posts: 53
    edited October 2012

    AC #3 as we speak! ! Good luck to all the ladies this week!

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  • Mariposa123
    Mariposa123 Member Posts: 267
    edited October 2012

    Good Morning Everyone,

       Wishing everyone in the big girl chair a comfortable and restful day with no side effects and lots of support and love:-)

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  • marianelizabeth
    marianelizabeth Member Posts: 1,735
    edited October 2012

    allurbadday, I lost 5 pounds since yesterday so definitely had fluid retention that has resolved. I am not sure it is dexamethasone as I am still on that twice a day. But I did have 8 mg preop. I also had Zofrand and Emend and am have my last 4 mg of dex this morning and Zantac bid for 7 days. I am going to call the nurse line today just to report it. I often wake up feeling like straw in my throat and drink some water and go back to sleep. This was different in that I honestly had to wheeze big time to get air in and it burned my throat and then made me gag. Then I was fne. But it happened twice more during the night. I am exhausted today from not sleeping much last night either but no problems breathing and the fluid is gone. I hear I will get Benadrly with the Taxol. I am not a big fan as for some people it makes them sleep but for me it makes me feel wired. I have developed an allergy to wasp stings and got stung twice in July and Benadryl was really the only drug of choice where I was.

    Ah well, today looks like a better day.

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  • allurbaddayswillend
    allurbaddayswillend Member Posts: 355
    edited October 2012

    Jojo, I think you asked about CBC? I didn't see my neutrophil count yesterday. It wasn't back when I saw my MO but I guess he got it before they ok'd me for chemo. I did have time to go make a cup of tea and eat a bit before they called me. My WBC 2.8, RBC 3.58,  HCT 35.8,  Hgb 12.1, platelets 192 .  I'm further down the regimen than you.  

    My scalp feels funny today. :(  I guess I might lose some of the hair that's grown in. :::sigh::: oh well, this too shall pass.

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  • Timbek2
    Timbek2 Member Posts: 204
    edited October 2012

    Thanks for the kale tips ladies!  I liked it steamed with some dressing.  Excited to try it baked today.  I think anything with popcorn sounds good and it sounds very fibrous too! :)  Not looking forward to #3 AC tomorrow but then I will be 75% finished with it! wooohooooooo  Praying for low se's for all here! xo

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  • Cherioo
    Cherioo Member Posts: 305
    edited October 2012

    allurbadday how is the Taxol? I am having my last AC tomorrow yeah.

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  • cgesq
    cgesq Member Posts: 319
    edited October 2012

    Hi All,

    Just a tip for those getting herceptin only infusions.  Have them run the drip slowly (at least an hour for me.)  Last week, they ran it faster (about a half an hour) and I got home and was completely exhausted.  I wound up napping for over 3 hours and almost couldn't lift my head off the pillow.  I posted this problem on the TCH thread and was told that the speed of the infusion could cause this type of fatigue.  So today, I had them run the drip for an hour and whereas I got slightly tired during the infusion, I was (thankfully) fine afterwards.  Live and learn!!

    Mariposa, Did the immodium help?  I hope so.

    Good luck everyone.

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  • Neta69
    Neta69 Member Posts: 203
    edited October 2012

    Good luck to everyone having treatment this week. I'm a week and a half out from third TC treatment and still have pain in my legs and joints. Otherwise the main SE this time is a sore mouth and fatigue. I feel really weak and low. 4th and last TC next Friday.



    Cindy: Thanks for your Post. It cheered me up :) if you feel down, go check out the Success Stories thread. It helps.

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  • kidsandlabs
    kidsandlabs Member Posts: 138
    edited October 2012

    Finally home, such a long day. My counts are still really high so no shot this week, yippie! I might be lucky and not even need it or just every other treatment. Taking Nausea meds around the clock, I hope I don't need fluids this week. Good luck to everyone who had treatment today or this week!

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  • Cindi74
    Cindi74 Member Posts: 363
    edited October 2012

    Damn,  Just when I was proud of myself for handling two A/C so well, I have to read this:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-mercer/breast-cancer-awareness_b_1955095.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl31%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D221387

    Record time too.  Read and cry--or cheer!

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  • butterfly14
    butterfly14 Member Posts: 253
    edited October 2012

    Cindi - thanks for sharing that story, she is truly amazing and I almost feel guilty on my tired/fatigue days after chemo.

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  • marianelizabeth
    marianelizabeth Member Posts: 1,735
    edited October 2012

    I cheered! But I was also wonderiny why they did not wear skins - only speedos in 60 degree water! But well done and maybe just a bit inspiring?

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  • cgesq
    cgesq Member Posts: 319
    edited October 2012

    Cindi,

    Thanks for that great article!  She is truly an inspiration.

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  • Amy4978
    Amy4978 Member Posts: 473
    edited October 2012

    Cindi.. I to cheered! What a great story it gave me a much needed push!

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  • bearcub
    bearcub Member Posts: 485
    edited October 2012

    I went for AC #3 today was real disappointed my neutrifils were only 1.0 so any lower and I would have been delayed a week. They gave me a reduced dose of 77 percent. I was pretty down about that. Oh well it's better than nothing I guess.



    I had a nice visit from my son and his wife and our 3 little granddaughters last night, one is 5 and twin 4 year olds and this truly lifted my spirits. Nothing like some cuddles to make everything all better.



    Marian you sound so busy, good luck with the pet scan and hope you tolerate your chemo with mild SE . You sound like a strong women. I am pretty excited about you getting your chickens soon.



    Cindi thank you for your comforting post, I hope you are doing well. I know you had a reduced dose to, did it worry you? The chemo nurse did say with the reduced dose hopefully it will be a full dose next treatment. The doctor said a reduced dose isn't as good as a full but to be delayed isn't good either as cancer starts to regrowing after 3 weeks.....what....I didn't have chemo for 8 weeks passed surgery no one told me that!....oh well I have come to the conclusion to not believe all the docs anymore, they all tell us different things...go with some of it, and leave some of it. .it's a crap shoot.....I will be positive and stay as healthy as possible .





    It is so hard to keep up with everyone as we have really expanded, but everyone have minimal SE , and I am praying for all of you.

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  • jojo2373
    jojo2373 Member Posts: 662
    edited October 2012

    Cindi, love the story. As I started it I was afraid she was going to go through her chemo to with no SE's and then I would really feel like a wus!



    Bearcub glad you got to stay on schedule. All my reading says the timing is more important. Definitely going over 3 weeks allows for growth. The newer dose dense method of 2 weeks is designed to hit the cells before a single rascal can start to divide!



    I am going into work today to see staff I haven't seen since starting chemo. Excited yet scared at the same time. Wondering how many - oh you look great remarks I will get as they internally think - oh she looks like a chemo patient.



    I know I shouldn't care, but it's hard to not.

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  • Cherioo
    Cherioo Member Posts: 305
    edited October 2012

    Cindi, great story . Headed to chemo last AC today

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  • Cindi74
    Cindi74 Member Posts: 363
    edited October 2012

    Hi Bearcub

    As for yourself,  you are stage 1, and they didn't find cancer in nodes. If they got clean edges,  I wouldn't worry at all about a reduced dosage.  I am stage 2 with cancer in two nodes of seven, through one of the nodes.  My Oncologist reduced dossage 20% after first A/C which really did a number on WBC even with nuelasta.  I told her that the SE weren't that bad, but she insisted on the reduction.

    #2A/C,  WBC ok after 5 days.

    Here's what I think.  One of our group who had a big, visible lump and who is getting A/C before surgery said after the first, the lump was reduced by half.  Some more, but less after the second.

    I think the chemo hits a lot of cancer cells after the first.  Fewer after the second.  I think I read somewhere that the cancer mutates pretty fast.  The more of one chemo, the less it works on some cells. 

    The other problem the Oncologist has to worry about is that with low WBC, we are at grave risk of infection.  After the first and a CBC, the chemo nurse gave me a firm, but gentle lecture.  "You get a fever or cold, you end up in the hospital.  You have no immune system."  I researched this on line and found studies of nuelasta and neupogen which purported to show that even with the very high costs of these medicines, they reduce costs because they keep patients out of the hospital with infections.

    A close friend spent 5 days in the hospital with pneumonia which progressed from a mild infection.

    Our oncologists walk a fine line.  Kill the cancer without losing the patient.

    My surgery seemed to get the cancer out,  The A/C tries one way to kill stray cells wandering through my body mutating and looking for a home,

    Then 12 weeks of Taxol goes after the mutations and stray cells another way,

    Then 7 weeks of rads tries again.

    Then five years of hormones tries another way.

    Oncologist said after ALL, there will be an 8 to 10 chance of a recurrence.

    OK, I'm 75.  If this buys 5 or even 10  years---so

    Otherwise, I think with surgery alone---which is what women my age got about 10 years ago, 25% chance of recurrence,

    Hey all.  I've done some on line research, but my logic or reasoning may be faulty.  What have you found?

    What do you think Bearcub?

    I'm not worrying or losing sleep over this.

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  • Cindi74
    Cindi74 Member Posts: 363
    edited October 2012

    Cherioo.  Hugs and no SE today.  Wow.  Last A/C.  i have #3 in a week. 

    You are one of our scouts telling us of the path ahead.  We will also be eager to hear about the Taxol after AC

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  • bearcub
    bearcub Member Posts: 485
    edited October 2012

    Cindi, JoJo thanks for the added insight. I am lucky of my stage and yes I have that in my favour. I am only on AC, then straight to rads, my doctor said I wouldn't need Taxol just mild chemo so one round of hard hit of AC. I only have one more round of chemo then I am done with it. On to rads for me in November. I am happy about that but praying I'll have done enough in the chemo department. I do have a very good Onco so I need to trust him more. With a tumour size 1.1 I barely made chemo it was a grade 3 so the .1 and the grade put me on the chemo. I am happy about that.....sounds strange I know but without chemo at all I would have been way more nervous.

    So far after round 3 I am feeling good. It's only early in day 2 but that's okay.



    Good luck to the girls heading into another round, and woohoo to the girls who are finishing the AC....you did it!!....everything I have read Taxol is easier??..for all of you I hope so.

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  • amylovesbubby
    amylovesbubby Member Posts: 53
    edited October 2012

    Hi ladies, do u set your alarm in the middle of the night to take nausea. Meds? What do u eat with it at night?

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  • bearcub
    bearcub Member Posts: 485
    edited October 2012

    My meds are scheduled for morning, noon, evening and bed....not in the middle of the night. Can you get that changed? At bedtime I have some cheese and crackers.



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  • amylovesbubby
    amylovesbubby Member Posts: 53
    edited October 2012

    Bearcub, it depends on what time the give me the first dose than every 8 hrs. Ends up being at 2 am!

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  • marianelizabeth
    marianelizabeth Member Posts: 1,735
    edited October 2012

    I would wiggle them around a bit so you are not up at 02. 

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  • allurbaddayswillend
    allurbaddayswillend Member Posts: 355
    edited October 2012

    Cherioo, Taxol, for me, has not been as rough as AC. I'm on the once a week for 12 weeks regimen so it's probably a smaller dose more frequently? However, since it's once a week, as the weeks go on I can tell I don't bounce back quite as close to normal - there's a cumulative effect of fatigue and some SEs. I am fortunate that I am not getting much neuropathy in my hands and feet, just a little prickliness midweek. I get some bad back pain but am taking Celebrex for that, again, midweek. Almost no nausea for me. My sinuses lining is getting pretty thin apparently and I have some bloody noses but they stop up fast. I suspect everyone's different of course but I hope your experience is not bad too!

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  • Timbek2
    Timbek2 Member Posts: 204
    edited October 2012

    The kale really helped me! Mo was very pleased with my numbers. 4.62 WBC. That makes me happy. Waiting out for ac three. Praying health and comfort to all. May God give us the strength to get through another day/week. Amen. Xo

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  • Mariposa123
    Mariposa123 Member Posts: 267
    edited October 2012

    Good Morning all!

    cgesq:  The immodium helped tremendously!  I only took one, but the cramping stopped and I was able to go to my support group.  Which was super awesome!  One of the other survivors in the group who has completed all of her treatments brougth me two huge bags of hats and scarves and the most beautiful wigs!  So, if it had not been for the immodium, I would have not been there to receive such an awesome gift:-)  So, thank you thank you!

    Cindi:  I just love that story!!!! I thnk it is interesting that the story headline talks about how quickly she swam the channel after surgery- but really the fact that she swam just a few weeks after completing chemo seems like the truly remarkable thing!!!  I can't even imagine walking to Safeway.  I guess this should inspire me to start exercising! 

    Jojo: Good luck at  your workplace today.  I know what you mean about the comments.  I also get kind of tired of all of the "You are so strong, brave, such a fighter, blah blah blah"  I know people are trying their best.  And in someways, probably both things will be true.  They will be struck with how beautiful and strong you look - and they will see evidence that you are a cancer patient.   Anyway, I hope you have a nice visit.

    So, I have a question.  For those of you who have wigs, scarves, and hats- when do you wear each thing?  I find that when I am seeing people I know- I am more comfortable wearing scarves and hats- but when I am going to the grocery store, mall, pick up my daughter -  I wear a wig.  Do other people wear a wig all of the time or scarves all of the time?  Just wondering:-)

    Hope everyone has a good day with lots of energy:-)

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