Sept 2012 chemo
Comments
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Can anyone who has finished all of their chemo tell what is the treatment process to get your body back to the condition it was in before chemo? During this AC treatment, I have never bounced back, always needed neupogen shots just to get to the next chemo. Is there vitamins, or iron infusions?
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On the eve of thanksgiving, let me add i agree. how can bald, bloated, drippy,fearful,and tired be sexy? My hair, nice boobs, fearless future, gave me that. Cancer took it away.
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Waitingforthenextstep- What a wonderful question to ask about post chemo!!!! I am now 16 weeks PFC and feel so much better. My energy levels returned with 4-6 weeks after the last chemo. My blood counts continue to climb but are not in the normal pre-chemo range. I don't know how long it will be until they are no longer in the low range. I received a Neulasta shot after chemo rounds 3-6. Yes, I received one after my final round of chemo so I wouldn't be left vulnerable to infections and it allowed me to get regain my strength those first weeks I was PFC.
I have started to exercise a little more since I don't tire as quickly and don't get easily winded. I continue to eat healthy foods as I did throughout my chemo. I am not taking any vitamins or iron supplements or any kind of supplements. My onco and I have an agreement that I will eat whatever nutrients I need so I don't have to take supplements/vitamins/iron orally plus I'm just not one to take pills for anything. I know I could be taking some Biotin to help with the hair growth and have a jar of Biotin sitting on my desk. My hair (and I mean everywhere!!!) has returned. My head hair has returned evenly and the longest hair is over an 1 inch long. It is a super super short boy cut. I do go out without a hat/scarf now but still find that I'd rather wear something on my head to keep it from getting cold.
I know it is a joyous and wonderful day when you are PFC. There can be a rush to hurry up and feel better, lose some weight that one may have gained during chemo and grow some hair. It does take a little time to feel good again and to do everything that you want to have happen... happen. Patience is sometimes difficult to come by as one recovers from the chemo and its side effects. No matter how long it takes, it will be good.
Sending lots of postive calming and healing prayers, thoughts and energy and wonderful times during this Thanksgiving for each of you!!!!
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No doctor mentioned to me no sex without condoms during A/C. Do you think they thought a 75 year old and 80 year old-------mmmmmmm? Well, making love has been a very important part of our marriage.
The great thing has been that since cancer he has given me wonderful massages of my whole body with great smelling creams, sented candle burning, soothing music (Have fallen in love with Beetles Go Baroque), and no rush--just love. Sometimes it ends in making love (usually at least ten days after chemo) and sometimes it ends in snuggling. Lots of KY helps. Remember we have no jobs to rush to and no children at home. But I think we all need to take a little time--sometimes, one of us will mention in the morning going to bed earlier for a little "together" time.
Funnny, as I started to type this, he came to my office complaining that he needed more "together" time. One more financial thing to take care of and------
Oh yes, Marian, added you to the list.
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Tonight on the Ed show on MSNBC he mentioned at the closing that his wife has breast cancer and is going through chemo now. He is very partisen but I forgive him because he is so passionate about education because his mother was a teacher. He also has been passionate about health care.
On the Rachel Maddow show also on MSNBC she mentioned that she is thankful for her friend who went public with her breast cancer in her blog.
I looked at the blog, http://pinterest.com/xenijardin/my-life-now-with-breast-cancer/
It was particularly interesting to me because she shows pictures and describes so accuraately what many of us are experiencing.
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Thanks for posting that blog, Cindi. I found it really interesting, too.
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cindi: Thanks for posting about your love life- it gives me some hope:-) At the conference I went to earlier this month there was a woman who did one of the large conference programs about sex after breast cancer. She had a talking vagina puppet. I was four days out from chemo and kind of queasy, so I kind of stopped paying attention. (You would have thought I would have paid attention since she had the vagina puppet and all) anyway, her name was Barbara Musser. You can look at her powerpoint presentation here: (hope that worked) If it didn't, you can do a search for her powepoint, and I imagine it will come up. (2012 bcc conference)
Hope everyone has a wonderful thanksgiving! I am beginning to feel super yucky, but hopefully I can do what I need to. Luckily, I am going to be with friends who are totally okay with me just laying on the couch.
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Looked at the slide show- she doesn't really put that much info on her slides! A lot of it was about communication- telling our sexual histories to our partners (which sounds a bit frightening to me), standing in front of a mirror and repeating the things that are on the page after mirror practices, and doing things other than sex. Like massages etc. Seems like lots of work when I am feeling pretty nauseous. She is some kind of sex educator/therapist person who meets with people individually and as couples to help them get their sex life back in shape.
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Hey Mariposa--right with you on the Taxotere. Had mine yesterday. Hang in there. And happy Thanksgiving everyone. My American hubby is doing all the cooking. Yay!
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Had Taxol number 4 yesterday. I went to bed at 11:30 and my eyes have been peeled since 4am.... Good nes though the doc say only 10% of my tumor remains she said it has softened and with 8 more weekly treatments she anticipates it will be 100% gone by then.
She did however have to lower my dose due to neuropathy setting into mu feet
Wishing all of you a great Turkey Day even though alot of what we are enduring sucks ass... We do have things to be thankful for. Much love to all of you. -
mariposa, Usually a vagina puppet would be hilarious to me but not when I'm queasy from chemo I think. yeah. and I agree that cindi's love life is inspiring.
Great News, Amy! woohoo!
I roasted the turkey and made gravy yesterday. Today, if I can, I will make some stuffing and roast a squash. It's Thanksgiving dinner on the installment plan. I'm the only one in our little nuclear family who cares at all whether there's turkey on Thanksgiving day and even with me it's not that big of a deal. Last year we had roast chicken.
but turkey is less than a buck a pound at this time a year so I roasted a little 8 pounder.
Taxol has treated me fairly decently with the side effects up till the last few weeks. So, you know, fair warning: Taxol once a week is definitely easier than AC especially at the beginning of the 12 weeks but, yep, there's a cumulative effect, at least in me. I'm not surprised. -
Happy Thanksgiving ladies! I am thankful for each and every one of you! Btw, after three treatments, all of my tumors are gone!!! My onc was even shocked! Needless to say, I have even more to be thankful for today. Makes the next three chemos a little more bearable. Much love to you all!
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aic: that is amazing news!! So happy for you. All the best on your next three chemos!
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Cindi: what a wonderful relationship you have with your hubby. Beautifully written.
Amy: that is exciting news. Did you start with AC? I too have the neuropathy and my onc told me to take l-glutamine while on taxol. Just started it last night so hope it helps!
Just made the stuffing...took me an hour longer than usual. I find myself standing in the kitchen trying to think what to do. My body moves real slow. My hubby said, enough, go sit. So here I am in the recliner again watching football
. I also find if i don't drink enough water, I get chemo brain bad!
Enjoy the day everyone with family and loved ones. I'm going to eat pie today too and maybe tomorrow. Take that you crappy cancer!!
Erin -
Aic and Amy, so happy for you!
Meal over and the cleanup done. Relaxing the rest of the day. My handful of steroids for dessert soon!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! -
Yay! More good news for Thanksgving from aic! Congrats! Woo!
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I too am thankful for each and every one of you. For the regular and infrequent posters, for the visitors, and for the lurkers - you all create a community of shared experience that reminds me I'm not alone in all of this.
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So I thought, hey, what about a bike ride today? It's 55 and beautiful, and I feel good. And here's where reason and good judgement left me. I got on my bike, and just kept going. About 15 miles in I realized my legs were really getting tired, the temp had dropped 20 degrees and the wind kicked up. But I made myself finish, because that's what the pre-chemo me would do. 20 miles. Doing this made me feel so alive and so normal, but it also was a humbling reminder of my new limitations. Near the end I just couldn't make it up a hill, so I leaned over and put my leg out to catch me but couldn't feel my feet and my leg wouldn't support me. Humiliating and so stupid. I couldn't even muster the strength to get my leg over the bike again so I had to walk it the rest of the way. Oh, and neuropathy? They say avoid the cold? Did I bother to wear warm socks? I could not feel my feet at all, and my toes were like icicles. Stoopid, stoopid, STOOPID.
Last Taxol tomorrow at the crack of dawn.
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Happy Thanksgiving all!!
Toastiecat, my husband has been very supportive throughout, and I'm not sure if it is because he too dealt with cancer. He was a much different type of patient, and it was pre-internet so he didn't have the type of support system that we have here (not that he would have used it.) He is a very pragmatic person, so he just had his chemo and kept on working.
Thankfully, it has been 20 years, and no relapses. I hope all of us share his outcome!!
On another subject.....new day...new side effect. Yesterday an itchy rash appeared on my stomach, which has not gotten any better either with cortisone cream or by my taking benadryl. I haven't changed laundry detergent or worn any new clothing. I hope this isn't an allergic reaction to the chemo. I will advise my MO tomorrow, because a rash was something they wanted to know about. Anybody else gotten anything like this?
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Home from wonderful dinner with 2stepdaughters a son and stepson, 7 grandchildren, my husband's ex wife and about 5 to 7 others. Nice pleasant weather. All ate outside; several brought different things. Hubby and I made three Persian Lime Pies with the limes from a tree in our yard. But they mostly prefered the apple and pumpkin. Loved the togetherness. Everyone had to say what they were thankful for. Only one snarly comment about election results. Great food.
I can't imagine being able to bike 20 miles. I can barely do one on the stationary bike. My record is 37 about 10 years ago in Holland.
My daughter in law who has ms was thankful for American Medical care. Not perfect, but great. I didn't say so, but I am certainly thankful for all the knowledge and support I have experienced from Breastcancer.org. I am grateful for all I have learned from all of you. Hope you all had a beautiful day. Hugs and no SE.
Oh yes, 7 year old granddaughter in second grade recited a three page poem without a hint or stop to earn her second American Girl Doll. I had suggested The Duel, shorter and easier, but she is adopted from China and chose a poem called A Ballad of China. About Dillikidollike Dinah. This kid is going to cost me money. Last year it was The Night Before Christmas.
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Cooked for 20 poeple today, a turkey with all the fixins. Pies, cake and pumpkin rolls. Left all the clean up to the husband and kids. I hope everyone had a wonder day.
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Kids,
You cooked for 20 people! WOW. Pies,cakes. I admire you enormouslly. I'm sure all had a wonderful day. You are a Superwoman.
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Cindi74, I do it every year, wasn't going to let the cancer stop the tradition. I was exhausted but it was well worth it!
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Kids way to go, I love your attitude. I will be cooking for 11 this Christmas, I will have help from my DD and DGD who is 15 in January.
Well I see my RO on Dec 3 for a consult and start herceptin and tamoxifen on the 5th. I am feeling a bit bombarded, and nervous for any new SE ...with those new drugs. I am supposed to have a mugga scan before the 30th to put a baseline for the heart function.
Then see the doc Christmas Eve and second herceptin the 27th. It seems like a busy December as I imagine in that time frame rads will start everyday...one foot in front of the other.
I do want to say when you are in my home nothing around says a cancer patient lives here. In my closet is a basket of scarves and hats, that's it, my bedroom is just that, I don't spend any time except sleeping. All books everything are put away. I think I wanted to keep my mind off cancer as much as possible.
Cindi I did mention the oil massage and scented candles, lol he thought it sounded like too much work..(he was joking)....we had a very good chuckle over it. We have our 36 th anniversary a week before Christmas ....he will be surprised to see the candles and oil!!! I will say it is much easier once the kids have left home to find those quiet intimate moments. My DH has no problem with the bald look, I could be in a chicken costume and he would still chase me. -
Bearcub and Cindi ~ you are both very fortunate to have your husbands. Mine hasn't even given me a hug in so long I don't remember it....he feels like he has to do too much, since sometimes I just don't feel up to it, and it makes him upset. I just hope that we find a way to reconnect once this is all over.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
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Good day all! In the big girl chair for Taxol #3. Benadryl drip as we speak.
Tumor softened further! Now 3.5, down from original 6.7. MO talked me about new trial for post chemo. Involves taking Metaformin. Seems to be new research showing helps fight recurrence. Is anyone else doing?
Happy Friday! -
I had my first taxol on Monday and the joints in my hips, knees and feet are killing me. I feel like I am 90.
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Butterfly had same thing with treatments 1 and 2. 2 only slightly better. Asked MO today for meds to help as OTC's do not. She gave me Ultram, will try this time to see.
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Thanks Jojo, please let me know if it helps. I go in for blood work on Tues and will ask about it.
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Jojo, I saw something about Metformin the other day poking around on this site. I talked to my MO this morning about it. I don't qualify for the trial because I had negative nodes, but the MO was sort of enthusiastic about it and we'll talk more about taking it after I finish rads. He said there appears to be a benefit although not a major benefit. Sorry you and butterfly are having such bad joint problems - hope the ultram helps!
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