Starting Chemo October 2012

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  • fight4two
    fight4two Member Posts: 146
    edited December 2012

    Bone scan clear! Ct of chest/abdomen also good, although when I looked at the report there were notations of things that would prob require a medical degree to understand, but there was a note that there were no signs of metastasis. I guess just other unrelated stuff that prob comes with age?



    Are these the only scans we are supposed to get? Why no brain scan? I read that chemo doesn't pass the blood brain barrier so I assume if there is anything in the brain, we are doing nothing to fight it?! Scary thought. Did those who get scans get a brain scan or was there a reason given as to why not?



    Halfcan, I had a 101.2 fever on day 8 and then turned the corner and felt pretty great the rest of the days! Hopefully, day 9 will be great for you too! I'm on day 2 of 2nd taxotere right now and will prob be needing a reminder of day 9 euphoria soon.



    Hope all feel good/better today!

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  • 301724
    301724 Member Posts: 478
    edited December 2012

    Yay Fight4two! So glad all your scans are clear!

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  • Toots
    Toots Member Posts: 104
    edited December 2012

    Fight4two - So glad all your scans are clear!

    Halfcan - hope things improve for you soon!

    ....I had some good news last night had an appointment with the oncologist, wasn't looking forward to Christmas with my first Tax due 21st December, however getting bloods done on 21st but Tax postponed a week to 27th woohoo will enjoy that meal at the hotel with hubby Christmas Day really looking forward to the festivities now!

    Hope everyone has minimal SE's and here is to everyone else finding their silver linings...........

    Hugs to all x

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  • alcb70
    alcb70 Member Posts: 166
    edited December 2012

    Hi everyone! Wanted to see how everyone's blood counts are?  My Hgb (red blood cells) has been slowly decreasing even with Neulasta (no surprise) & I really felt crummy yesterday.  I went in for my herceptin (day # 14), and had some heart racing and extreme fatigue that morning.  Like got out of the tub and had to lay down after drying off--couldn't even get dressed first. The nurse said I looked like white paste & they checked my counts. She said that my numbers actually went up (but didn't match my color). She gave me some fluids (bc I thought I was just a bit dehydrated) & recehecked & my Hgb was 9.7. (If you're dehydrated, your blood can get "condensed"). So, I got 2 liters of fluid to try and hold off a blood transfusion.  I'm exhausted!  Anyone else watching out for a transfuion?  I'll probably get checked again Mon. when I see the MO. Hopefully I don't drop anymore over the weekend bc my Neulasta should be wearing off by now. Also, anyone else having issues with alternating sweating with being cold? I've had hot flashes for years....but this is like a night sweat...then I am freezing.  It could also be bc I'm getting used to gas heat (thermostat drops, then heat kicks on & gets hot quick).  That's almost as miserable as anything else!!  Hope everyone is feeling well!!!  ~Andrea

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  • 301724
    301724 Member Posts: 478
    edited December 2012

    Hi Andrea,

    I'm sorry you're feeling so bad. Neulasta affects white blood cells rather than red. Not sure what your low hemoglobin is from but would certainly warrant a conversation with your MO. In the meantime, try to eat high protein foods. Hugs to you!

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  • Jennie93
    Jennie93 Member Posts: 1,018
    edited December 2012

    My hemoglobin, hematocrit, & RBC levels have all been dropping a little bit more every time.  But apparently not enough of a drop for the onc to say anything about it.  (Meanwhile my WBC & neutrophils went up last time.  So I guess the Neulasta is doing its job.)  I used to donate blood, before all this happened, and sometimes my hematocrit would be too low, and they would tell me to take some iron pills or eat something that has added iron, like Total cereal.  I go for another treatment next week and I'll be curious to see if the levels drop again, and if so, whether they have any suggestions.

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  • Poke
    Poke Member Posts: 225
    edited December 2012

    Andrea, 

    I was worried about transfusion when my platelets were at 160, but they turned around over time. I increased my intake of veggies with Vitamin A (kale, carrot, beet). I have still managed to avoid Neulasta and round four is next week! As far as the sweating and being cold, I'm with you. It's hard because I sleep with the fan when I'm hot, then my head gets so cold I have to put a hat on, then I get hot again. I also had extreme fatigue this round, I didn't leave bed from Thursday-Monday of round three. You're not alone with these symptoms! 

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  • Poke
    Poke Member Posts: 225
    edited December 2012

    Sorry I haven't been around much ladies ... TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF MY TWENTIESSSSSS. I'm not happy about this. I did, however, get expanded today because why not have bigger boobs for my birthday? I have a friend in town and then chemo again next week. Arg. Much love to all. 

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  • halfcan
    halfcan Member Posts: 253
    edited December 2012

    Happy birthday tomorrow Poke .... 30 isn't so bad!

    Fight4two .... Great news with the clear scans!  That is so scary waiting for those results.

    toots ... we will be in the BGC on the same day next time.  :-)  It is a blessing for you to have it after Christmas I think.  The holidays will be so much more enjoyable for you.

    Got some shitty news.  My SIL has a lump and has an ultrasound on the 20th!!!   Merry %$#@^& Xmas.  Grrr.  I so hope it isn't BC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Day 10 and still have zilch for energy!!!  At least the Nuepogen induced bone pain has mostly subsided this morning.   Many things I need to get done before Christmas and laying on the couch isn't one of them!!!   Oh well, tomorrow is another day and it's the weekend ladies.  I hope you all have a great one with minimal SE's.  

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  • Toots
    Toots Member Posts: 104
    edited December 2012

    Halfcan - that is real shitty news - fingers legs and everything else crossed for you - doing an impression of a pretzel - for the 20th.............

    Neulasta aches and pains no longer - really found the claritin worked and killed all aches and pains completely - you can cope so much better without pains!

    .....so good my tax has been postponed for a week to allow a good christmas even if that wasn't why he did it it is a good outcome for me..............

    Hope everyone stays well, lots of hugs x

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  • 301724
    301724 Member Posts: 478
    edited December 2012

    Thought you all might enjoy this.......Today I hosted a potluck lunch for the folks with whom I work. They brought great food, we had a Yankee swap, told stories and had a wonderful time. I had gotten heart-shaped glass dishes with floating candles for each of them. The note that accompanied it said:

    "This is NOT a Christmas gift!

    It's a token of my appreciation for your love and care.

    When you light the candle and float it on water in the dish,

    may you know how much your thoughtfulness and support

    provided warmth and light for my path and buoyed my spirit."

    I've actually bought *many* of these this year to let my friends and colleagues know how much they mean to me.

    While I was pretty pleased to have actually gotten my act together enough to do this for them, I had no idea what they had in mind for me - confetti, streamers, bubbles, noise makers and whistles - all to celebrate my finishing chemo!

    Much laughter and tears later, we cleaned up the mess together. What a wonderful group!

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  • LouBar
    LouBar Member Posts: 84
    edited December 2012

    Alcb70 - sorry you are not doing well.  I can't comment on my blood work as I haven't been paying enough attention just glad to get the all clear thanks to neulasta to get the chemo.  however I have made a note to get copies of all my bloodwork next tuesday pre-chemo for my records.  Hopefully with rest, fluids and nutrition you can avoid a transfusion.  As for temperature - I'm cold post-chemo for the first week, but I'm in Canada so it is cold here now so I'm always layered up.  I do rotate my hat on and off throughout the day. 

    flight4two - I had the same scans as you - no brain scan - they say that  BC travels next to bones / liver so perhaps that is why they don't scan our brains? Boy, I hope so, don't want to worry about that one. 

    Poke - happy birthday - love the bigger boobs - you go girl! :)

    Halfcan - I keep hoping to hear you are feeling fantastic, sorry it is wearing you out but at least good that the pain is subsiding.   Sorry about your SIL, my younger sister just had her first mammogram, it was clear, but boy, I feel guilty that she has to worry about this now because of me. 

    Ladies - for those of you getting IV through your hand is your forearm sore? It feels like the veins in my forearm are achey, it is like the discomfort from surgery on my arm where the lymph nodes were removed that putting out a sweater with a cuff makes my arm sore.  More good news in the paper today re. cancer and research into the dormant cells to look to prevent reoccurence: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1301826--cancer-cells-hide-by-going-dormant-princess-margaret-study-finds

    Hoping you all have a great weekend. 

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  • schoolmom
    schoolmom Member Posts: 458
    edited December 2012

    #3 on Monday. 

    POKE - Happy 30th.  Glad to see you back.  Hey to be 30 again.  I will be having the big 60 after my last chemo.  Everyone take care....

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  • Poke
    Poke Member Posts: 225
    edited December 2012

    Scan talk ... gah. I am too scared to get scanned due to false positives. I am not sure if I talked about this with you guys already or not. My onc says that scans aren't standard for stage one so I'm going to trust my body on this one to tell me if something is up. Thanks for the birthday wishes :)

    Love to all, 

    Melissa

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  • halfcan
    halfcan Member Posts: 253
    edited December 2012

    For days I have been popping Ibuprofin or tylenol and I just took some not 15 minutes ago. I've been trying to be a bit productive this morning. I just noticed that my achy all over seemed a bit over the top so took my temp out of curiosity .... 100.4 and now will be disguised by the Ibuprofin! Thoughts ladies???

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  • 301724
    301724 Member Posts: 478
    edited December 2012

    Halfcan - I'd put in a call to your MO. Better safe than sorry.

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  • Poke
    Poke Member Posts: 225
    edited December 2012

    LouBar your post made me laugh; I take on and pull off my hat about 48 times per day :)

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  • halfcan
    halfcan Member Posts: 253
    edited December 2012

    Fuck!!! At ER with 101*4. Time for lots of tests. At least I'm in a private pediatric room for now. Going to be a long night.....

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  • halfcan
    halfcan Member Posts: 253
    edited December 2012

    Still at hospital .... Getting iv meds. Nurse had trouble with my port. Going home soon with iv in for daily antibiotics. Very tired. So much for Sunday....going to sleep right through it.

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  • CelineFlower
    CelineFlower Member Posts: 875
    edited December 2012

    well that sux halfcan! 

    glad you got care...

    ill send you some purple bubbles while you sleep..

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  • LouBar
    LouBar Member Posts: 84
    edited December 2012

    halfcan - hugs to you, feel better soon.  Do they know what was wrong? Flu? Gosh - I'm so sorry for how this treatment has been for you and now officially terrified of Taxotere.  Please feel better soon, it has been a long time for you not feeling good or even better.  Take care of yourself.  xo 

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  • Poke
    Poke Member Posts: 225
    edited December 2012

    Get well soon, Halfcan!! Thinking of you!! 

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  • jocanuck1951
    jocanuck1951 Member Posts: 1,003
    edited December 2012

    How nice Celine, purple bubbles!



    Thank you for private rooms!

    Halfcan did they source the cause of infection?



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  • LouBar
    LouBar Member Posts: 84
    edited December 2012

    301724- I missed your original post - but CONGRATULATIONS on finishing chemo!!  Great that you are celebrating those that are supporting you and that they continue to surround you and celebrate.  Can't wait to get there and streamers and noise makers would be fantastic.  Great news :)

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  • Marlene18
    Marlene18 Member Posts: 91
    edited December 2012

    LouBar - Yes, I have the achey veins in my forearm on my IV side, after 3 rounds of AC. It's a tender, almost bruised feeling but not particularly localized in one spot. Last AC tomorrow though, hoping taxol & herceptin go in a little easier in 2013.

    halfcan - Sounds like it's been a crappy week for you, I hope you are feeling better at home tonight.

    At the hardware store today, I was really tempted to buy a snowman to decorate my place but with great restraint, I settled for the snow-DOG for 1/3 the price and now that thing is cracking me up every time I catch a peek of it out the window. I'm calling him Nick (you know, like the saint!) It's probably the closest we're getting to anything snow-like in Vancouver for Christmas again this year. Silly I know, but I'll take any giggles I can get these days... Laughing

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  • Toots
    Toots Member Posts: 104
    edited December 2012

    Marlene - love the idea of a snowdog called Nick - lovely thank you for sharing brought a smile.........we had snow a couple of weeks ago back to rain, rain and more rain now!

    LouBar - I also have a real ache in the forearm my IV is put into left hand, dissection of right lymph nodes so they always use left - pain localised but aches all around it.............

    Halfcan - hugs and prayers that you get better soon x

    .......apart from a few aches and pains feeling great spent morning painting and finished another working on next one this afternoon - what a day painting, lunch, sleep, up painting again.......... sounds idyllic but would rather be running around like I used to just so tired.............

    Hugs to all x

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  • halfcan
    halfcan Member Posts: 253
    edited December 2012

    Thanks for the well wishes. I am in the ER again today. Been here since 9 this morning. Got IV antibiotics and now they ran more tests and waiting for a blood thinner shot. Tomorrow will have an ultrasound on my leg...possible blood clot. Could be cause of fever. I an soooo tired of this! Will end up being here all day again.

    Gosh, I hope you all are having a better day.

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  • 301724
    301724 Member Posts: 478
    edited December 2012

    You poor thing! Hugs and prayers being sent your way!

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  • schoolmom
    schoolmom Member Posts: 458
    edited December 2012

    Halfcan...get better soon.

    I had #3 today....feeling OK for next couple of days until the se's kick in.  Only one more to go!!!!

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  • Toots
    Toots Member Posts: 104
    edited December 2012

    Halfcan - so hope you improve soon honey lots of hugs and prayers from here xxxx

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