Sept 2012 chemo

Hopex  - I did the hot bath, vicodin and aleve, feeling better today, My husband opened a bottle of wine for dinner I was tempted to have a glass, but thought with all my pain killers not a good idea.

Patricia - my port is more sensitive with the taxol and it turns red when taxol going in and stays sensitive for a couple of days afterward.

mariposa - I understand the up and wired and tired all at the same time. I hope you lower dose of taxol works for you, and that they do not change your plans again.

I hope everyone has a great weekend with no SE's.

Carla

A liitle breast cancer Christmas song.  Sing along everyone!

All I want for Christmas is a new left boob, a new left boob, a new left boob.  All I want for Christmas is a N E W L E F T B O O O O O O B, to help me forget this ever happened!

Thanks, Joemommy. Hmm, wonder why I'm getting pre-menstrual symptoms now that I'm on the three week cycle but didn't on the weekly Taxol and Herceptin cycle? My oncologist said I'd be on Tamoxifen, too. I had lots of hot flashes on the weekly Taxol/Herceptin regimen and for the first week and a half after the FEC/Herceptin treatment but it slowly kind of petered out and I don't have them anymore. I'm going to speak to the oncologist on call when I go for my second FEC/Herceptin treatment on Monday.

Bearcub I hope you are enjoying your break! I see that you start rads Jan. 3 - but it says 2012 - a typo? I have my next Taxol Jan. 2 and on Jan. 3 I have a PS appt. then in the afternoon, a followup CT scan.

Mariposa,  I hope you can get through this cycle and get some sleep too. 

I thought my first Taxol cycle was going OK (Taxol on Tuesday) but late yesterday afternoon started with a fever which went to 38.35 and since 38 is the magic number when we are supposed to call the help line, I did it. I got a call back from what was probably a resident on call. She took down all my info (fever and feeling crummy with some abdominal pain and said she woud call the oncologist on call. Another call from her saying to come in for blood work (worried about my hospital stay two weeks ago) but I said that does not seem sensible especially as she said it could take hours. Just then the oncologist called her and the next call to me was to stay home, drink lots of fluids, do not take any Tylenol etc. and go to sleep. 1 mg of Ativan and still 38.4 during the night but now below 38 and am hoping whatever it was will pass! But I am taking it easy and still in bed. May stay here for the day in fact! Tomorrow night old friends arrive for Christmas and there will be over  dozen of young and old folks staying here. Luckily we have a big old house and our bedroom is kind of separate so I can retire here whenever. May be crazy, but I am looking forward to it; lots of friends and family to take care of me instead of just my husband!

It would be nice to think that we can all get through Christmas without and S/E but that may be a big ask. I have to say again that I appreciate sharing here.

Merry Christmas to you all, far and near!

Marian

marian - sorry to hear that you are having a fever!! Sure hope it subsides. Have you got any neuropathy from the Taxol? That  is one thing that scares me. 

I had round #3 of A/C on Thursday - I switched to Emend - much better for the nausea, and I have taken the one shot of neulasta so we will see what the outcome of that is when I get the blood counts done next week.

I also have a full house for Christmas - a little grandson (20 months) running  around tearing the house apart - I will be cooking for 10 adults and the baby - plus to add to the mix there are 3 dogs and 2 birds living in the house. It is crazy, but I will manage because there will be lots of helping hands - hopefully!! Then this will truly to be a Christmas to remember. Thank God for big old houses to accomodate all these young adults.

Hope you are feeling better soon and get a chance to enjoy your company!

Hi everyone! I am 4 weeks and a couple days post final chemo. I  have completed 13 of 30 radiations treatments. I'm only a little tiny bit burned so I'm hoping if I keep up with my lotion 2 or 3 times a day that I'll get through without the nastiest of complications.

patricia, during Taxol treatment I asked for numbing cream (lidocaine) to use on the skin over my port. It helped me somewhat. Some people swear by the lidocaine.

foreverchanged, I think I understand about chemo being a security blanket in terms of it keeping my darn ovaries turned off! I have not had a period yet a month after final chemo and I still hope I don't get one but vag discharge has been making me SO nervous and unlike joemommy, I have had perimenopausal symptoms for a few years so I'm crossing my fingers that I'm close enough to just go menopausal. How many women wish for that? I don't know but I'm sure those of us who want less estrogen in our bodies are on the list. I can't speak specifically to FEC but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that your estrogen and progesterone keep taking vacations...

lemons, I'll sing with you! I won't even sub in "right" for "left" because it's the spirit of the song that matters in this case.

Mariposa, I love your latest art. The fever is hovering just above normal but I feel better so am taking that as a positive sign. Let's hope for the positive for you for Christmas too with no S/E.

No art from me but I did post a sort of Christmas post/photos on my blog - hoping this Christmas will be a good one.

Marian

Mariposa - I am 44 and doing the oopherectomy because of lupus and being antiphospholipid (blood clotting disorder). I sould be able to get it done at the end of January.

Does anyone else avoid being around friends since diagnosis? I have been avoiding going out with people because I am embarrassed about hair loss, wearing a wig and weight gain. I know I shouldn't be, but am. My haor was really long and naturally curly, the wig I have is chin length and straight.

Cancer, the gift that keeps on giving!

Although I am officially boycotting Christmas (in keeping with the theme of the Unyear), it seems an appropriate time to thank each and every one of you for participating in this discussion thread.  By sharing your experiences - your fears, thoughts, stories, pictures, humor, art, songs, blogs - you've helped us all get through this together.  Thank you.

Mariposa: your artwork is fantastic! I wish I had some talent like that! I can't even draw a stick figure!



Butterfly : I don't see my friends as much either. I'm just too tired and want to be in my sweats and a stocking hat.



I'm a bit depressed as I cannot go celebrate Christmas with my husbands family on Christmas Day. My father in law has a major cold so I have to stay home and I'm feeling quite good right now. I have my last chemo in the 27th, then surgery, so I don't want to take the chance in getting sick. I hate how this cancer controls your life!!

Maybe me and DH will go to a movie.

aaargh! You know those nightmares where you are late to a final exam in college or something and you can't find the room and maybe you don't even remember registering for the class? I basically had the same firkin' dream except I was late for chemo! it was awful. It won't ruin my day or anything but isn't this just indicative of how life has changed?

cocobean, I'm feeling pretty good. I definitely have had more energy but am done and ready to just gel after suppertime each day. I'm actually getting the house picked up a little and am able to cook for us many days of the week. My radiation treatments are almost half over. Most of the SEs from chemo are reducing daily too although one day last week I had a flare up of tingling in my hands that surprised me but mostly it's all getting a bit better, still have some body aches but that can be tamoxifen too. I reserve the right to be pooped out again after more radiation. My hair is about 3/4 of an inch long (maybe 2cm), my eyelashes are just starting to grow back but are still about invisible, my eyebrows have some peachfuzz which catch the eyebrow pencil and help them look a bit better. My appetite (and stomach integrity) is not in full force yet (even though I can eat spicy food I just can't pack it in) and my MO nagged me a little about losing some more weight so today I have to make some glutenfree Magic Cookie bars! poor me. I have never had this issue before in my life, believe me. I am just a low-normal weight now but I started this whole journey overweight so he's concerned about too much change I guess. (It's also kind of obvious in public and to friends that I've been through chemo, the quick weight loss and lack of eyebrows…) I think the tamoxifen gives me a little queasy feeling and heartburn taking it at night. I have to figure out when to take it each day so I'm not uncomfortable with it. Generally, each day I am grateful that I was able to get treatment and that I have made it this far <- and those thoughts help buoy me up when sad thoughts come up which do and are hard to handle as we all know.

mariposa - awesome! You should get posters made up for chemo clinics.

lemons, AC DOES SUCK way more than Taxol for most of us. Congrats on being half way thru the taxol.

We don't celebrate christmas/solstice in any big way and I am SUPER glad about that right now. Hanging out at home and playing games with my dh and son is plenty of activity for me right now.

hopex, I'll check in tomorrow if you're hanging around at home too. Do you play Words with Friends? I'll play a game...

Hi everyone!

   I am feeling pretty crappy.  Lots of bone pain, stomach aching, tingling fingers and toes, and exhaustion.  I have so much I want to do for tomorrrow.  My little ones are 3 and 6, so they expect a lot at Christmas.  (My fault, I tend to overdo it).   I tried wrapping presents last night so I could be a bit ahead of the game, but then I was in such pain and felt like I might vomit- so I started crying and went to bed

butterfly:  I also avoid friends.  There are some women in my support group that I am hoping I can go out with soon.  I just think it would be nice to hang out with people who I don't have to explain anything to.  My friends all tell me how great I look- but that irritates me too.  I don't look great.  I look lke hell.  I am bald, fat, and so stiff that I walk around like an old lady.  I feel like when they tell me how lovely I look it kind of invalidates the hell I have been through.  Is that weird?  I guess I am just grumpy.  One of my best friends from work who disappeared called last night.  I didn't answer.  I am just emotionally too messed up to forgive her right now.  I am sure I will later.

Allurbaddays: I used to have those dreams all the time!  Or the one where it is the last week of school and I just remembered that I signed up for some class that I never went to.  What is funny is as a teacher, students do that all the time!  Bizarre!  I am glad you are done with chemo and now only have to deal with it in weird dreams:-)  

Neta69:  All the women in my support group rave about biafine- which is some kind of French cream.  It is super pricey- like 40 bucks on amazon.... but is supposed to be an incredible burn cream.

Hopex:  I took a picture of the back of my head  Have you taken one of yours yet?  My little hairs are starting to obscure my heart shaped birthmark.   I will post a picture after I get it on my computer!

Thanks everyone for all of the sweet comments about the art work.  It does help me tons.  I would encorage everyone to make some art, write some poetry, or whatever creative thing you can do to create some meaning from this crappy experience.  

Okay- now to figure out how to make a gingerbread house without puking.

Happy Christmas Eve!!!!

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Wishing all a merrychristmas. I am worn out. Trying to trudge through but it's tough. It's hard keeping things normal for the kids when I just wanna stay in bed! Traveling tomorrow so trying to get everyone packed. Our first getaway since before my diagnosis. Will be so good to getaway. Hoping my energy comes back..... MAy Thisbe the last bald holiday for all of us and a long future with happy and energetic ones ahead. Trying to tell myself this is temporary. Wishing u all the best.



Becki

Cindy74

          I am on a similar protocol as you.  I had A/C every other week for 4 treatments, now taxol/herceptin for 12 weeks.  Then hopefully a nice break between any other treatments.  I asked my MO for the Emend, which has been a miracle drug for me.  I wish I had it for the A/C phase.  I now take one emend tablet before I go for the taxol.  Been lucky so far, not really having bad SE's with taxol.  Thanks for telling me about the emend, and Happy Holidays! 

To All,  Thank you for all the advice, support and listening over the last five months.  You have made this trip bearable.  Merry Christmas,  Happy New Year, no SE, and a full recovery.