Starting chemo November 2012

Sfrey - wonderful news that you're feeling good today. 

We have hit our maximum out of pocket for the year.  Good news half the treatments are zero cost to me!!  But my insurance plan starts over again on January 1.  Called to see if they could give me estimate on my portion for treatments when the new year starts.  The Neulasta shot alone was quoted at $9,200!!!  HOLY COW!!!!!  Guess we'll hit max out of pocket again before January is out!  I knew that stuff was expensive but geez!!!!!!

Makes me wonder how anyone without insurance could afford treatment. 

junebug - We are on the same chemo but you have me confused with all these abbreviations (where do I find them)

 we have the same type, size, stage, grade, etc tumor - my exception is that I am postmenopausal (if I were older I wouldn't need all this treatment) and my ONCOtype DX score was 34!  Think Dakota is very similar

 This is what my treatment is to be:

Begin Nov 6 End January 7 :  4 chemo treatments @ every 21 days: 60 minutes of Taxotere & 60 minutes of Cytoxan;

Neulesta shot 24 hours later.     Then 3 weeks off then 6 weeks radiation 5 days a week, then Arimidex for 5 years!!!!!  Don't want it!!! 

I'm not  a young chick like you girls (although I think I am ) but I am going to listen to my Doc - he is the Med Onc director and was a an assistant professor at Fox Chase in Philadelphia. Guess  I have to trust him but I don't like meds!!!!!!

This may sound stupid but what is an Onco type score??  Oncologist hasn't mentioned it.  Just gave me 20% chance coming back without chemo and a less than 5% chance of reoccurance with chemo.  Seemed like a no brainer.   Chemo here I come.  Sorry if I'm not using the right abbreviations those were the ones I got from the doctor. 

Mine is triple negative so no 5 year pill is currently available to me. 

Tricia - I'm having 6 rounds of Cytoxan & Taxtore.  One treatment every 3 weeks.  Theory on the study is giving it longer will increase the the cure rate.  Also will have radiation once chemo is done. 

Michelle - I'm having the same problem.  Two surgeries no reaction.  Port implanted and all the sudden I break out in a rash.  Same facility same type bandage but this time.  Itch, Itch, Itches like poison ivy!!!  Nurse said Hydrocortisone cream and it has helped some.

Hope your day continues to improve!

Guess I better get back to work.  Anyone else having motivation issues today????

Tricia-



Good point!!! Especially about the bad days!!! Love it!!! We got this girls !!!

Good morning,

I braved it and went to my children's school for lunch with a loved one and even ate Mcd Fry's .... 

sickofpink I bought my Brian Joesph eyebrow cream at a wig shop in birmingham they will mail it or just google it and you can go direct and order it. 

TriciaM I am a bit crazy and yes I have all so been to a nutritionist.  I juice fruit and veggies onice a day. I take calcium 2 times a day I take vits and iron I drink a protain drink if I can't eat ( at least try)  I eat all green wise items... I have been doing this expect juicing for a while but I was a vegatrain for 11 years and still eat very little meat mostly fish that we catch and is fresh.  I make my foods at home I don't eat processed cookies and bread If I don't make it  I buy from the bakery.  I have changed something up like I don't buy milk in the glass bottles with the cream on top and I am not using honey and am not eat raw fish/sushi.  I asked about all the food stuff from The ACC and they said not unless my WBC gets really low and they but me on a no VEGGI and FRUIT Diet.  I can even do Sushi and oysters 3 days before to 3 days after chemo.  Just as if I can have my fills then for my TE. or dental work.  They have said that as along as the doseing is done right and with pre chemo meds the side effects should be small.  I must say I have had very little side effects.  I have been really tired one day but I was still able to go to a all day birthday/football party.  I have not been eating my normal amount and some days really did not eat.  But I have been up everyday makeup on dressed and going.  I am a very busy person though.  I pass kideny stones don't take pain meds and keep going.  So as I said I am a bit crazy.  I don't pretend to be normal.  I live with a kideny issue called RTA and I have had a stone all ready with my first dose of treatment.  I am sure I will have one with every dose,, I pass 2 or 3 stones a month.  I have Great local docs that are friends.  Great local hospitals that husband/friends run and work all through (navy and civilian).  I will say my husband is having a really hard time I am the one that is all ways on top of things. I always have everything under control and no mader how bad the stones get I always make sure  it fits into the families schedule. This has to be about the cancer I can't hide anything and he knows how bad it really is.  He does this for a living.  He knows what it means when they say a lymph node lite up or it is this close to the muscle and skin, there is a leason on the liver and it is ok for now.  The tumor is growing at 1 CM a week.  It looks like your family history is...Syndrome and we need more info.   I had a bad infection/rejection of a TE and had to go back into surgery and was in the hospital for over a week at UAB(5 hours a way from home) this set me back 3 weeks on chemo.  I think we all have hard times.  Times we can't get out of bed times we can't eat, when we think we can't go on.  I know I have never been as sick as I was as when I had the infection I was sleeping 18 + hours a day not eatting and hurt so bad that clothes/sheets wind hurt.  At first my husband blew it off and said I was fine I must of cought something.  So please know we are all different no one is the same the way my body reacts is different then anyone elses.  When it comes to radation I am not getting it because the my cancer protacal does not call for it at this point I was schedule for it but I do not have it in my skin muscle or lymph nodes and it was less than 5 CM and I am Pre menapause.  and I am ER and PR + my ONC is one of the top research doc for susan g we really looked to find my team of docs.  I drive 5 hours by choice.

I have to run back to school then meeting for work I hope if you are having a rough day you can find something that makes you feel better I take lots of warm baths with obus oil ( from the health food store) first learned about yes in England.  I wish We could get the Migrane med here in the states  That would sure help with the aches....

Michelle - Slap, slap - do you feel better now? Also, did you read my post about the penicillen reaction - maybe that was it

ltmguy - wow you sure do go through a lot to keep yourself healthy = keep up the good work but are you really "allowed" to take all those supplements with the chemo?  PS, my dad was a Navy Seabee in the '40's

Thankful4 - so did you go for that walk and do you feel better?

Junebug - tell your boss to send you home with pay or go home her sick self - if that doesn't work you just might be in the unemployment line

All of you Girl Fighters: Got to tell you - this is day 10 for me and I feel better than I have in months!!  So much energy, feel too good to be sick...

I think I love that $9,000 Neulesta!!!   

Have a great night tonite and a better day tomorrow...

It seems that almost everyone on here doing chemo has a port! I am starting chemo on November 20th. and I talked to my oncologist this morning about having the AC/T every 2 weeks without a port, and she said that it should be fine. I am a bit concerned about using one single vein on my good arm for everything from chemo, scans, lab work. Anybody else out there who is not having a port for their chemo. I am feeling like the odd one out here!!

Adagio-



Nope not alone at all. I am here. No port, 4 A/C, every other week, 4 taxol every other week My MO said its 8 IV's total, if u have good veins no port needed. Good luck. We r are here for u!!

I didn't want a port but the doc said I only had 2 good veins and he wanted 4; 1 for each treatment.. I don't like the port but it's here and not much I can do about it (looks like a big old tumor on my bone).I always thought I had good veins but they can't use my right arm because of the lymph node removal...I'm sure your doc would have insisted on it if she thought you needed it.  You will do fine....

Dakota - have you had any chemo yet? I am glad to know that I am not totally alone without a port!! My oncologist didn't even look at my veins - but she said that having a port is like having a foreign object in the body and sometimes the body tries to reject it. I feel that way about the chemo drugs - they are a foreign substance to our body and that is why we get so sick because our body is trying to reject them.  I am so glad I found this site and the wealth of information from women who have travelled the road that I am just about to embark on. 

txjunebug - wow, a christmas tree decorated already!! I haven't even thought about christmas yet, but I definitely should. Good luck for the first chemo - let us know how it goes!!

TriciaM - do you know why they don't use the arm on the side of the surgery? 

Maryah - the port definitely would be convenient for you with travelling - am impressed that you can still travel while having chemo!!

I don't have a port.  My doc never even suggested it.  I have pretty good veins, even though we can only use one arm, so I guess they figured they would just see how it goes.  2 of 6 done and no problems so far.

Adiago, As far as I know, once you have lymph nodes removed from an arm, you are not suppose to have your blood pressure taken from that arm or any blood drawn from or injections into that arm because you can get lymphedema, check with your doc. 

As far as the Port, I think my doc just wants all his patients to have one.. he likes 4 good veins if your having 4 treatments - I have 2 (in the one arm)

Also, it looks like we will both be having 35 radiations after this chemo is finished.

Good luck with your first treatment and remember to drink lots of water for at least 2 days....and stay away from germs!!