January 2013 chemo group
Comments
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Lee, are you from Indiana? I was born in Indianappolis, father military but lived there off and on a few years and still have a bunch of family there. We were predominatley around Madison, Columbus and along the Ohio River.
Sheryl
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Hey LeeA- my youngest stepson actively cultivates being weird- he wears it as a badge of honour...he is 12.
I am FINE with being considered weird...why be normal? Normal is BORING! And insofar as acne goes, i hear ya! I was reading that a side effect of chemo can be clear skin? Really? Anyone? No shaving AND my face FINALLY clears up??? Dare to dream??? (although i also read chemo makes your face go a greenish tinge...and am super-pale to begin with [which makes the acne scars worse!] My bff, however, assures me we can find bronzing powder for pasty-white chicks...but powders have always made me break out in the past??? Seems to be damned if i do and damned if i don't...burkah is sounding goooooood!!!) Shannon -
You ladies are on a roll today!! I appreciate all the much-needed laughs, THANK YOU! I agree about us moving in together in some kind of chemo compound, how fun would that be?
Regarding the hair, I don't think it's as much vanity as it is a sense of wanting to feel 'normal'through all of this instead of having to advertise that you have cancer...you can't keep it a private matter. And to top it off, it's not like the hair grows back right when you finish treatment so you have this constant reminder. Just makes me angry there isn't a better way to manage that SE!!!
Deb, hang in there with the caps...shedding is normal and I know you'll do great...stay warm tomorrow!
Smethot, I vote for the pug with the zebra. LOL -
Sheryl, I grew up in a suburb of Chicago but my first husband was transferred to the Louisville area soon after we were married and we lived on both sides of the Ohio - Louisville (Middletown) and then Southern Indiana. I went to college with several people from Madison and strangely enough, had a dream about someone who lives in Madison just two nights ago! Weird, because I hadn't thought about her in ages. Years ago we used to go the Chataqua of the Arts in Madison and because I come from a family of antiquers, we would often drive up that way - on the Indiana side. It's such a pretty drive/area. It always struck me as odd that Madison was about an hour east of Louisville but used to be on the central time zone (if I recall correctly) whereas Louisville was on the eastern time zone (I hope I'm remembering that correctly - in any case, Indiana used to be kind of chopped up when it comes to time zones - perhaps still is). My son and mom live in Southern Indiana so I'm back there at least once a year and was there in September, just prior to being diagnosed. People in that area are so friendly. It took some getting used to once we moved out here. Not that people aren't friendly but it's different. I miss that aspect of it and I miss the housing prices but I sure don't miss that cold weather!
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smethot - As I was reading the words "bronzing powder" in your post I thought "nope, that won't work for me - I'll break out" and then immediately saw that the same is true for you! Those mineral type makeups - no way. I have a theory about all this (acne/inflammation and even how it fits in with chemo). I'm sure it's not just my theory but haven't yet Googled to see if the one part of my idea actually figures into it all. Re: clearer skin during chemo - what a blessing that would be. It's easier for me to go sans makeup because it's a vicious cycle - cover it up - it breaks out. Blah blah. If you have skin issues then you're probably familiar with it as well. I've always had skin problems - starting as a young teen - but as luck would have it, they got WORSE after menopause! *shakes angry fist at sky* Mandy might chime in here as well. She mentioned some skin issues as well. Re: being weird, well, mine gets all frenzified (new word alert) when I get a bit stressed out. Plus, there's this weird chemo thing of having fingertip energy but not having a lot of body energy. Speaking of fingertips, I've been using Sally Hansen's Hardener/Hard as Nails at the recommendation of SpecialK (a triple positive poster who has provided a weath of information) and wow, that stuff really does work! I've also been painting my nails navy blue for treatment days. That includes toenails because of the taxotere's supposed effects as combined with UV light. I'm not sure if it's just taxotere or all the "TAX" prefixed drugs. I never take care of my nails but I'd just as soon they not all fall out as part of this horror show! Besides, I've been typing so darn much that I think I owe it to the poor little things.
Editing to add - yes, hope49, a chemo compound would be most excellent! I can see it being a rather noir sitcom as well. The Ladies of January? The All Hat Society? There would need to be plenty of bathrooms and a nice, eccentric chef to take care of all our culinary needs! A kindly Mr. French (but you have to be older or seen some reruns to know what he was all about).
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I wanted to pop in and thank everyone for the great advice and support. It's been invaluable. I've received 4 of 12 taxol/herceptin treatments so far. My hair started to fall out Friday. Saturday, I had my stylist cut it very, very short but, I should've shaved it. It feels like every hair hurts. I have been putting off getting any kind of head covering. Can you say denial? My nose runs and bleeds all the time, and i'm tired but, it's all doable. MO stopped steroids last week and I almost missed them (no closets got cleaned). Next week we try for no antihistamines. Looking forward to spring!
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Jubba, LOL! Your aunt is my kind of lady! I may just keep wearing wigs after my hair grows back too...wore one today and it has started feeling less weird. 💇
I went out today to buy goodies to keep me eating for the next week or so... Hitting the bar tomorrow for round 2. Saw my acupuncturist who focused on building my blood up in preparation.
I always have a good giggle when I read the posts from you ladies, it's a present you are giving to the rest of us...🎁 -
Lauren, take your temperature. Do you know what your temp normally runs? If when you take it it's "normal" (oral should be 97 to 98.8) then take your temp again a couple of hours later. If, when u take it the first time, it is low-grade...like 99.0 to 99.8, don't take aspirin or tylenol, and repeat in a couple of hours to see it it goes up. Same thing happened to me with my surgical wound a couple of days ago, and I caught it in time, insisting on antibiotics before the temp could go higher. Keep an eye on it.
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LeeA and smethot thanks for the laughs today! You ladies are all on a roll. I felt pretty good today, with the exception of a headache that made me nauseus, then I remembered I had compazine in my little old lady drug bag so I popped one of those and am feeling a bit better. Tomorrow I'm scheduled to belly up the to the bar for treatment #2. Jayjayc it sounds like you and I are partaking of the same cocktail mix.
Went yesterday to one of the local hospitals and got a new wig, a second wig the lady thought I looked good in and bangs that apparently velcro in, plus a sleep cap and a hat. I am quite intrigued with the bangs.
I kind of am partial to the crack pug with the tiara and the wig...very cousin it like! My sister has two pug/jack mixes and boy they need orthodontics. I love my pitty-he is digging the fact that he has someone to snuggle up with more than usual! And he likes the breast pillow I got when I had my surgery-seems to fit his head perfectly. Just waiting to see the cat dragging one of the wigs down the steps one of these days and then my nut house will be totally complete.
Hope everyone's having a good day.
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Hello all! Just came back from my MO's office. I am going to get my port inserted on Friday and start chemo on Monday. I will do AC every two weeks for two months and then weekly Taxol for 12 weeks. Hopefully the chemo will shrink or melt away my tumor before surgery. I am also getting a Neaulasta shot after each AC treatment.
As for meds, my MO only prescribed Zofran. He says other side effects should be manageable.
Is there anyone else having a similar treatment?
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Y'all have been busy, busy, busy today! Funny people. I love you!
Oliver, I hope surgery goes well for Peyton. I'm glad you have the extra support from Dan. I hope he's taking good care of himself, too; it can be easy for them to forget, and then where would we all be?
Jubby, hooray for getting out of the house! Hooray for meals! And hooray for your use of the words "minging" and "manky," which I use all the time and which get me funny looks. (Americans don't use those; I picked them up from my DH the Brit.) Actually, my students' favorite Britishisms from me are "trousers" and "pants." They think it's hysterical that I say they're wearing trousers, and even funnier that I say things are "pants" when they're generally crappy.
Skigirl, I am ALL for the village! Given our "ciao bella" theme, shouldn't it be in Italy? Somewhere with plenty of bars, and in the north so you can all ski...
Mandy, (once again so AWESOME to have no big news from you!) I love it when people say they "support cancer." When kids say it, it's just one of those funny things kids say, but adults? Really? At the grocery store: Would you like to donate to support prostate cancer? No, you ninny, but I'd love to donate to support prostate cancer RESEARCH or prostate cancer TREATMENT. I think the cancer is supporting itself just fine. Sheesh!
kimmeam, congratulations on round 2! The 4/6 rounds thing does make sense. If you can handle it and it's working, you do more; if it's wiping you out too much, you can manage on less.
Lee, Feline Emergency Mange Act? ROFLMAO! Where do you come up with these things, you crazy person?! (she wonders in admiration)
Shannon (smethot), baby, I am so vain that I'm sure that song really IS about me. So you can just get it out of your head. It's mine! And I vote for zebra-crack-pug, although the crack-pug-a-day calendar could be a HUGE moneymaker.
Leahmitch, good to "see" you, sweet pea! (Whoops! Almost wrote "sweat pea." Yikes!) And what's wrong with denial? Maybe that's where we should have our Girls of January compound... although things seem to be pretty violent in Egypt right now. (And there it was, folks: Bryona's terrible pun of the day.)
bcfree, I'm having that same treatment, with my second AC tomorrow; NikkiLiz is, too (we're twinsies!). A few other ladies here have the same chemo but different schedule, too. We've got your back, honey.
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Lauren, I started reading the posts from the very last page, and I've been reading backwards since. I just just got to your post where you said you were in the hospital, so my post must have sounded kind of strange telling you what you should do when you obviously know. I hope you are feeling much better and at the risk of sticking my foot in my mouth again I hope that all goes well from now on with your port and your chemo. I will start reading posts in the correct order from now on.
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LeeA - well I think you are amazing. I enjoy your sense of humor and your honesty. I'm in Germantown, OH which is between Dayton and Cincinnati. I have some friends that live in the area that you are from near Louisville/Indiana state line. The area is gorgeous.
Smethot - my nephew embraces weirdness as well. Funny thing is it has made him very popular and he was voted homecoming king by his peers this year. All while wearing a Jedi Knight outfit. He rocks! The boy wears different colored Chucks on each foot daily and loves life. He has a 4.43 gpa and is going to MIT next year. I'm going with weird is good.
I do understand the issues with hair, I really do. Its like your last bit of independence and your last defining feature is leaving. We've had it our whole lives. We've been nice to it, been not so nice and it has still stuck around. Then this blasted disease comes along and takes from us our longest running friend. But remember she isn't gone, she is just resting for a bit and when she comes back we will all love her more than we ever did before. And she will be as devoted as she was before and will let us do whatever we want to her. -
cancernoway - I love this:
he was voted homecoming king by his peers this year. All while wearing a Jedi Knight outfit
Wow! I'm in awe! He sounds like a unique individual!
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Bryona, re: bad puns (or otherwise) - will there be a showdown to see who the true Punstress™ really is? It has been my title for years but if battle we must...
editing to add:
cancernoway - great way to put it - the last defining feature. Oh well, today I've been wearing a Buff and just bought two on ebay and may go get another one at REI tonight. Fie on fickle old body hair!
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Thank you ladies for the information and encouragement. I was sooo scared last week but now I feel much more comfortable with having chemo after reading the posts here!!! I will post my experience as well.
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Good luck tomorrow to the Wed crew! I hope all the cocktails go down smooth, and am praying you have minimal SEs. Again, if we had our own compound...we could have Isaac from the Love Boat serving them up!
maybe our compound could be ON the love boat.....I'm sure I'm going to have a crazy dream about this tonight LOL
Gr8fulmama...the image of your cat running around with one of your wigs had me in tears, I was laughing so hard...whew, thanks for that!!!
Bryona, not sure if it was your spell check that almost wrote 'sweat pea'...mine changes things all the time and yesterday I was PMing someone about running and intended to tell her my DH is a big time runner, and when I read it -after sending of course- it said he was a big time rip nut. OMG!
some good news... I saw my MO today and he was so happy with my round one experience, said I was a 'warrior'...not sure about that, but I know that all the support, laughs and tips I got from all of you definitely helped me feel stronger! Fingers crossed the next goes as well. YAY, he said I can choose to forgo the $9000 shot this time, so we'll see how it goes. He was also surprised to see my hair still in tact... he said "wow, you still have your hair...what's up- you did go to treatment, right?". I reminded him I am doing the caps...he took off his glasses, gave me a closer look, broke into a big smile and said, "I'm very impressed, that's great!". that made me smile, too. Day 20 and counting...
Sweet dreams, friends! (I guess that's sweat dreams to you, Bryona!) -
LeeA your morning rant belongs in one of the cancer books they hand out when they drop the news to us saying "read up on all the fun you are about to endure". LMAO How would that be for a feel good book. <<tethered to it like bald old balls>> PRICELESS!
And I believe this to be the quintessential crack monkey.
And the look on his face resonates this sh!tty week we are all having. Onward and upward to better tomorrows.
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Hey everyone
Okay. Is anyone else experiencing food cravings? I'm pretty healthy but lately all I want to eat is crap. Mac & cheese, sugar stuff, chips. I have to get back to the veggies. -
Hi bcfree2013
Yes I'm on a similar treatment. I get 4 doses of adria/cytoxan every 14 days w/ neulesta shot following day. Then I'll get herceptin/taxol 4 doses then surgery and more chemo but every 21 days. I forget that cocktail. I've had 3 Adria's so far next wk will be my 4 th dose. -
italflamingo - yes, I've broken one heck of a good healthy spell of eating since being diagnosed with breast cancer but everything's really gone to hell in a handpainted handbasket since chemo.
Right now, I'm just not worried about it. I suppose I should be but during those four or five days post-chemo I go into survival mode and if that means foraging for frozen pizza because it's the only thing that sounds good (unfrozen and cooked, of course) then so be it.
I've also craved pasta which is something else I had abandoned for a year and a half prior to diagnosis.
This reminds me so much of being pregnant - but without the bouncing baby prize at the end.
Last Wednesday my oncologist gave us instructions on how to have sex (ha ha) and said I should get on top. Get on top? GET ON TOP? Those first few days post-chemo I can barely get on top of the covers! Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit (about the covers - not the sex lesson!) but sex and nutrition are just not the top things on my mind during those brain-addled, digestive tract challenged days following the three bag wallop, or cocktail as some of the ladies here like to call it.
Oh, and yes, I ate macaroni and cheese from our favorite local restaurant during the first post-chemo experience and hadn't had macaroni and cheese for years prior. I won't even go into what I had for dinner tonight!
I did walk 30 minutes this evening. I had missed four days of walking and have been feeling guilty about that but whatever health benefit might have been derived from the brisk walk around the track was totally decimated by the food choices that followed.
Cie la vie, que sera sera, whatever.
I bought a bathing suit top tonight and it's the most ridiculous purchase I've made in a long time so I'm going to blame it on chemo fog or the desire to add yet one more uncoordinated sales item to all the other uncoordinated sales items in my closet. I have no idea if these crunchy tissue expanders will ever have enough volume to fill things out.
The new normal is even crazier than the old normal. Woo hoo. My poor dear husband. He looked a little frightened when I yelled out "SH*T'S GOTTEN REAL HERE LATELY" as I was merging into freeway traffic. I suppose that's why he said "I'll drive home, honey."
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LeeA,
You just gave me a real gut buster laugh. The sex talk about getting on top when you can barely get on top of the covers post chemo was priceless. Even DH laughed loudly.
Thanks, Sheryl
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Bcfree - Exactly the same for me except add Herceptin in on the 12 weeks and then additional weekly herceptin for 9 months....as far as SE - the worst was/is nausea constantly since my first tx 9 days ago and now the sores are coming out - on my head and tongue and mouth.....stayed home from teaching for a week and returned on Monday - very tired at the end of the day but still can not sleep past 3 AM which sucks because when I am ready to go back to sleep at 5:00 I have to get ready for work and pack my kids lunches for school...ugh...I really miss drinking coffee the most - I was a big coffee drinker prior to chemo - decaf and regular did not matter just a coffee junkie and now the thought of drinking it makes me sick....
Thanks for all the laughs this week! I really needed them....
I just read a very interesting article that I want to share with everyone but can not seem to add the article so I may have to copy and paste if I can not figure it out....sorry if I take up too much room and no one really wants to read it!
Prescribing a New Kind of Rehab for Cancer Survivors
A new push for cancer "rehab" is helping patients avoid long-term physical disability and complications after treatment ends. WSJ's Laura Landro and Julie Silver, Harvard Medical School assistant professor, discuss on Lunch Break.
Patients who undergo cardiac-bypass or joint-replacement surgery routinely are given specific guidance to the exercises and therapies they will need to return to their everyday activities and to prevent complications or relapse.
For cancer patients, the story is very different.
After undergoing often harsh and debilitating treatments, there is often little help for their return to normal life.
Now, an increasing number of hospitals are offering programs to provide cancer patients with comprehensive rehabilitation services, amid mounting evidence that these can help speed recovery, shorten hospital stays and improve quality of life.
Rehabilitation services are "an absolutely essential part of cancer care," says Dan McKellar, chairman of the Commission on Cancer. Last year the nonprofit standards-setting group, overseen by the American College of Surgeons, began requiring cancer programs to offer rehabilitation services to be eligible for accreditation. Major cancer centers are taking steps to better coordinate rehabilitation after treatment. And Medicare and most insurance companies are covering such services.
Doctors who specialize in rehabilitation medicine can evaluate patients for fatigue, pain, anemia and decreased endurance that result from chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. They can then prescribe physical and occupational therapy, as well as treatment for sleep problems, depression and cognitive impairment. Dietitians help with nutrition, as cancer can change the way the body uses food and patients often lose their appetite from treatment. Some institutions offer massage and yoga.
More than a third of the nation's 12.6 million cancer survivors had physical or mental health problems that put their overall health in jeopardy and had a negative impact on their quality of life, according to a recent study of federal health data funded by the National Cancer Institute. While patients may get emotional help from friends, family and support groups, physical problems may get scant attention once they are no longer in the care of oncologists and surgeons.
"When cancer patients are diagnosed, everyone sits down to look at the case, decide what to do and convey that plan to the patient, but the same sort of process doesn't happen for survivors of the treatment," says Kathryn Weaver, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Patients, she adds, may feel their physical problems are "the new normal" and may not ask their doctors for help. And even though most hospitals have rehabilitation services, there may not be a formal program to identify cancer-patient needs or coordinate a care plan among different therapists.
One model being adopted by hospitals, including Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, M.D. and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville, S.C., is called STAR, for Survivorship Training and Rehab. It uses specially trained teams of caregivers, coordinated by navigators such as nurses, to help patients with physical and emotional issues, as well as any other concerns that arise.
In 2011, Dan Yarborough, a 67-year-old attorney, had two stem cell transplants within months of each other and high-dose chemotherapy to treat multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, at Bon Secours. The treatments left him weak and fatigued, with pain and numbness in his feet that threw off his balance and left him unable to walk steadily and unable to stop himself from falling if he tripped. Golf and travel, favorite pastimes, were out of the question, and he was worried about being able to argue his cases standing in court.
While hospitalized for his second transplant, a nurse navigator from the hospital's STAR program set him up with regular physical therapy appointments and nutrition counseling. Staffers helped him establish goals such as improving his ability to get in and out of his SUV, and worked with his doctors to change medications that were linked to his foot problems.
The program was "incredibly valuable," Mr. Yarborough says, giving him back the stamina to return to work. He is following up with a recommended exercise program at a medical fitness facility owned by the hospital where his exercise plan is overseen by a STAR-certified physiologist for a $30-per-month fee.
The Bon Secours STAR team also deals with specific issues such as helping head and neck cancer patients restore normal functions of swallowing, speech and movement after treatment. "In a lot of hospitals you will see these patients fall through the cracks after surgery, so their cancer is gone but they can't turn their neck to drive a car," says Lori McKitrick, a speech therapist who oversees the program. "We are doing a great job saving people's lives but we have to help them live their lives too."
Julie Silver, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and expert in rehabilitation medicine, developed STAR after her own treatment for breast cancer, which she says left her too sick to care for her family or return to work. Her oncologist suggested she
rest and try to heal on her own, but "it left me thinking there has to be a better way," Dr. Silver says. "Every cancer survivor should have the opportunity to heal as well as possible and function at optimal level whether their cancer is cured, in remission or they live with cancer as a chronic disease," Dr. Silver says.
She started a company, Oncology Rehab Partners, which helps health systems and hospitals create their own STAR programs for many types of cancer. STAR certification is used by insurance companies in reimbursement decisions. The program costs a typical hospital about $25,000 to launch with an annual fee of $10,000 for continuing education and recertification, Dr. Silver says.
Michelle Houle, 45, has been participating in the STAR program at Bon Secours since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. After chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy and radiation, Ms. Houle, on long-term disability from her job as a food company shelf manager, says she felt "about 90 years old." Nurse navigators at the hospital set her up with a specialist to help prevent lymphedema, a painful swelling of the lymph nodes and a common side effect of breast surgery, and she began a physical therapy regimen.
Ms. Houle suffered a recurrence in 2011 and is now on another chemotherapy regimen, but keeps up her exercises at the hospital's medical fitness facility. She is slowly returning to activities like gardening and housework. The rehabilitation program provides "a base to keep you going," she says, "and there is always someone to talk to if I'm feeling side effects."
Signature Healthcare in Brockton, Mass, which includes Brockton Hospital and 150 employed doctors, treats local cancer patients and those who have had treatment at major centers in Boston, then return home for follow-up with difficult physical aftereffects. Last week, it launched its own STAR program after 23 staffers went through six months of training and received STAR certification. "These needs have been unmet for such a long period of time, and they are very excited to be able to offer this enhanced level of service" says Linda McAlear, the program's coordinator.
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Morning all,
I was reminded of a conversation I had with my sister when I first was diagnosed. We didn't know yet if I would have a lumpectomy or mastectomy. My sister told me they would be able to reconstruct the left breast to look just like my non-involved right breast. I replied why in the hell would I want to build a new breast to look like the other one I never liked the way they looked in the first place. I am a sick puppy!
Sheryl
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Now that is funny sh*t...exactly how I feel - it's two new or none at all! That is the only thing that is keeping me going for future surgeries - I may actually have breast that fill a bra!! I am a "nearly A" cup and even less on the right now!
And a sex talk really....poor hubby, his only thrill is going to be going to the plastic surgeon's apointment and getting to feel the implant options!
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Oh LeeA what timing you have. I am sitting here in the wee hours of the morning, exhausted yet unable to sleep. And I was crying because I kept thinking about how I will never enjoy sex again. We had the GREATEST SEX before all this shit!!! It is like the climax of our marriage where everything came together. Okay, I really didn't intend on that pun so I am forever sorry if I offended by being too graffic. We've been married 19 years in a month and the sex has gotten better over the past couple of years. Well, until you take away two of our most fave things. I won't continue on this path of explanation. But you see where I am going with this. So after a horrible day and a sleepless night I find myself crying thinking it will never be like that again. Then I log in and find you addressing the same thing.
I find post chemo to also have food cravings. All weekend it was Mexican food. Oh, the crap I've eaten over the past 5 days. But then yesterday began this horrendous, undescribable taste. It altered everything that I ate, and I am absolutely miserable from it. I thought a pickle would taste good - not! Actually, we did have butternut squash for dinner with real butter and that was fantastic. But, I did find the more I ate of it the more I had that lingering taste start to crop up. This isn't like the metal taste everyone talks about. It is more like having the aftertasted of something old, with a sugar and bad vinegar effect. I rinsed with the baking soda mix before dinner, and perhaps that helped as I was able to eat a little pork chop, a couple of bites of cheesy potatoes and the squash. I even attempted a Chelada (which is a bloody beer, but you are all co-lushes and probably know that already). Took a couple of sips and down the drain it went. It is so strange that there is not one resounding key to this either. It isn't like verything sweet tastes good or bad. I can't stomach salad right now. Tried some lemon poppy seed bread and hated it, but then loved the taste of the blueberry/orange bread. Had one of my fave burritos for lunch yesterday thinking the spice would taste good. Not! I just don't know what to try to do from here. And it isn't completely obvious to me now, but I do have a sense of that awful aftertaste belowing up from the bowels below, which I attribute to keeping me up all night. Maybe I need to get back on the Prilosec. Ugh!!!
And then I am just so tired, yet unable to sleep. Sorry, today is my pity party day. Blow up some balloons and sing some off-tune song for me.
3littleangels, I find myself unable to sleep past 4 anymore. And I second the coffee thing. Love it, and I will force a small bit down each day to avoid the withdrawal headache. But that too does nothing for me. Thanks for the article. That is very interesting. You would think with cancer being so large that they would treat follow-up care as they would heart-attacks and such.
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Reading back through some of the posts and all of us having issues with bloody noses I wondered if that was attributed to the use of antihistamines. Yes, the dryness is a huge factor, but I recall having heard the bloody nose is a side affect. This is what I found:
One of the side effects of antihistamine nasal sprays is epistaxis, or bleeding from the nose. According to the Mayo Clinic, the physician should be aware if the patient has any injuries to the nose or nosebleeds, because these medications can make these conditions worse. If a nosebleed occurs, the physician should be alerted.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/189223-antihistamine-nasal-sprays-side-effects/#ixzz2JSV78SQ8I know it can also cause headaches and a sore throat. My daughter use to suffer from a dry/sore throat all the time when taking Claritin on a regular basis. So, just more fun SE's to add to this ever lovin' treatment.
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Hi Ladies,
A busy day for me today but I just wanted to let you know that you've had me in stitches. Time differences mean I wake up to read the string of posts that have been fired off while I have been sleeping. Lots of giggles had - thank you. LeeA, you would be mortified by the germ fest that is our house right now. 2 kids with colds and one with some stomach bug she picked up at childcare this week. I was cleaning $hit out of the bath tonight (poor little lamb had a major accident) thinking "ooh, I wonder how long before I am on the toilet with this lowered immune system". I figure it could be a long night My onc tells me mums of young kids have pretty good immune systems and I am sure hoping so! I figure the bugs are an inevitable for me so have decided to head to a movie on Friday night. I have to get out or go mental.
I have broken out in mouth ulcers tonight. 5 days post first treatment. It's scary how toxic this stuff must be on our bodies. My skin is also dry and my lips irritated. Cancernoway, we are on the same chemo cycle so I am interested to see how we fare at the same time. Really looking forward to the Neulasta bone aches scheduled for Friday - NOT!!
I am also not eating very well. Good things interspersed with bad. 2 ice-creams today and I haven't eaten one for months and months! I am with you LeeA - whatever tastes good - even a crusty old frozen pizza!
Have a great day ladies (she says as she heads for her bed).
xox -
3littleangels, ask the doctor to give you stronger anti- nausea meds with chemo. My doctor asked me whether I have motion sickness and told me that they will give me stronger meds to deal with nausea.
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Italflamingo, can you feel that your tumor has started to shrink? I am feeling nervous about my response to the chemo.
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Crazy Crack Pug #1- yuck it up, Ladies. Kick some insurgent ass! xoxox Shannon
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Happy trails to all my fellow lounge lizards today. Hope it's a good trip to the bar for all. Hugs skimommi....and I am lmao about the sex conversations-told my DH I missed him but it wasn't personal last night, to which he laughed at me. Hope everyone has a good day! Lisa
And Shannon that is one great avatar:)
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- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team