Sept 2012 chemo

butterfly - My MO stoped giving me the shot when I went on the Taxol protocol. I only had Neulasta during AC treatment. I would ask him/her about it. Even better if you can find a standard protocol guide somewhere maybe on this site or the national cancer center site. sorry I don't have links...

I had my one-week post-final chemo checkup yesterday. I don't have to see my MO for a whole month. wow! I start my tamoxifen tonight I guess. I haven't picked it up yet.

My MO has me on Neupogen right through Taxol which starts next cycle. 

marianelizabeth and butterfly, neupogen is like neulasta except not as long-acting and tends to have a lesser effect so a patient might get a few shots over the course of a few days to get WBC up to what the Dr wants to see. Asking about it is going to be the best best because there are different kinds of WBC's and we don't know if your MO is looking for a certain type to rise or if this is just normal protocol for him/her, etc... like Patin, My neutrophil count was good enough (borderline at the end) to finish Taxol with no shots. If needed, I would have been given neupogen by my MO but his procedure is to avoid it until necessary if you're just doing one chemical. He automatically does it with AC he said and other similar combos.

Hi everyone!  Finally getting over the worst cold ever.  I got the approval last week to take OTC meds.  My fever got up to 99.7 but not bad enough to go to the hospital.  The oncology advice nurse said I could take any of the cold meds as long as they didn't have ibuprofen or aspirin in them.  I took Tylenol Cold Multi-Sympton - both the Day and Night versions.  Helped tons.

I've never had any kind of neupogen or neulasta shot.  My blood counts are only tested the day before treatment and they've always recovered enough.  Not sure why they don't test them mid cycle?  Do most of you get them tested at other times before the day prior to treatment?

I still haven't needed to get a port.  I'm hoping my veins hold up through the final two treatments and the remaining year of herceptin!

I've always taken the steroids 5 times - the day before AM/PM, day of AM/PM, and morning after AM. 

Treatment 5 of 6 tomorrow.  Dreading the next week. 

Take care everyone and I wish NO SE for all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We hate SE!!

xo

Neupogen and Neulasta are basically the same thing for those of us doing dose dense so very two weeks. Neulasta has the benfit of being long lasting, yes so only one injection but blood work gives my MO the option to increase or decrease the numbers of injections. Here there is no coverage for Neulasta and from I hear from many of you, Neulasta is crazy expensive even with insurance. So, same effect just not one time deal. Neutrophils are what all MO's are looking at and mine have been good just juggling the numbers of shots. Walked 5 k just now day after last A/C so now resting. All good!

There seems to be a good bit of interest in the book.  If you think you may be interested, have pictures made.  You can decide later whether to donate.  Hopefully, this will be the only time in your life with the naked head.

Just had a thought- if the pictures are digital, they can be taken in color and we can always make them black and white... that way you have some choices if you want to... I guess actually you could do that with any pictures.  You can make things black and white, but you can't make them color once they are already black and white. 

I like the bald and the beautiful:-)  I also liked the title - "Life with the naked head" - from your post Cindi:-)

I am so glad you are okay Kids!!!  That sounds super scary.  I hope you are able to get a ton of rest.  The exhaustion seems to build with each infusion for me too.  I think by the end, they are going to have to take me from the chemo lounge in a gurney to my car.  Hoping you have a good evening with no SE!!!

Amazon has a Bald is Beautiful and a The Bald, Beautiful and Brave,

but these are very different kinds of books. Don't see that as a pbm.

Shockd (who hasn't been on here in a long time) once talked about losing our "crowning glory" - and I used it as a post name when I lost my hair.  It really resonated with me...  I think about the term crowning glory having to do with hair- but I also can see it as crowning (like being born) into glory- which makes me thing of how life changes after cancer.  How every year will be sweeter.  How I am more grateful for things that I once took for granted. 

 I think it would make a great name for a book that captures all of our glorious bald heads -   just another suggestion:-)

Hello ladies.... Had taxol number 5 today 7 more left and then chemo can kiss my ass for good cause I will be turning the page to surgery!



I have not had to many side effects from taxol slight leg cramps, bad dry sinus blowing blood, and my diarrhea here and there but still feel better than with the A/C.



On the plus side I have a full head of peach fuzz and my thinned brows and lashes are trying to fill in whooohoooo!



Jojo so sorry your having a bad day but you are def entitled! Enjoy that glass of wine and I will say a prayer that your Se's become mininal and ease up!



Cindy...I have been catching bits about this book but not all please tell

Me more. I have a photographer who wants to do pics probono and this def sounds interesting.



For all of you who on here I think of you and all our struggles often we are def strong woman! I say prayers for all of us and continue to keep the faith it will all be okay once again. Much love.....

Wow, lots of SE's going on. I'm with you all too. Nosebleeds, tingly fingers and toes.

I have my second round of taxol tomorrow. So Joemommy, you and I will be in the big chair together tomorrow. Just dreading it as I just don't feel good. I want my old self back. I'm sick of being bald too!



Kids: so glad you are ok! Scary stuff!

Jojo: I totally understand where your coming from. I feel the same way and my eyes look weird. Kinda puffy and sick looking.

Such a pretty picture I am!



Have a good evening. I wish a good nights sleep to everyone!



Erin

Cocobean,

My left foob never healed properly either.  I literally have a small hole in the middle of my breast on the incision line that has been open and oozing since the end of August.  My BS is aware of it, but claims he can't do anything till I'm off chemo.  Both he and my MO have been telling me to clump on bacitracin twice daily, and protect it with sterile gauze.  Then, when I was at the dermatologist earlier this week, she tells me to only use aquafor on it, because too much bacitracin can cause the skin not to heal properly.  HELLO!!!  I have been putting this stuff on for months now and only find out now that I am causing it not to heal.....WTF!!!

OK people.  I need tips, and advice.  AC #1 tomorrow.  The nickname alone "red devil" is enough to leave me feeling more than a little apprehensive about this next phase.  Add to that your numerous reports of very unpleasant (deliberate understatement) side effects and, well, I think I may be tempted to call in sick to chemo. Has anyone had a relatively ok experience on this regimen?  Please, oh please say that you're out there?  Or do I just get the barf bag ready and prepare for the worst?  Can I at least look forward to some medical marijuana?  

Also, I thought "Why should cancer get in the way of the dog acquisition that I'd been planning for the last year"?  Fence is in, so 10 month old pound puppy was acquired on Black Friday.  (Some people buy flat screen TVs, some people buy dogs).  Four days into this it occurs to me this maybe was not such a good idea now that I'm moving into AC phase.  It turns out this extraordinarily cute dog tricked me into believing he was fairly calm and manageable so that I would bring him home where he could reveal his inner hellion.  I suspect my husband will either file for divorce, or, more likely, just give up and let him unwind rolls of toilet paper around the house, remove the moss from all the planters, shred various papers and kleenex and eat whatever else is in reach.  It is both really funny, and terrifying. 

So, I will be barfing, while the dog destroys my house - and quite possibly my marriage.  

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

Aww jojo i hope that you are feeling better.....that wine worked for you!!!