January 2013 chemo group

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  • Sandra60
    Sandra60 Member Posts: 201
    edited February 2013

    CHGOGemini - I've never had nausea either.  I think wth TC it is not as common as long as you get the anti-nausea meds in the bag prior to your chemo drugs.  I only took one anti-nausea pill ( dissolvable )  after each tx .  They tend to constipate me so did not want to overdue - and turns out I really did not need them.

    Don't worry too much - it is " doable"  .  Try to stay positive, take walks as often as you can and follow the recommendations you see from all these nice ladies on this thread.  This chemo episode will all be over soon !

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  • Jubby
    Jubby Member Posts: 85
    edited February 2013

    SherylB, I have decided to take the Claratin for 6 days. Thanks for the pep talk re Taxotere.  I sure as hell hope it is better than FEC. 

    I agree with everyone on this board - we all process these drugs differently.  I am so envious of those on this forum that have minimal SEs. I have a theory that I have a high sensitivity to toxins (or I am a major wuss).  I was always the person who spewed all day after a big night out (I doubt I will ever drink again after this is over!), and I had shocking morning sickness during my pregnancies.  I also used to chuck up in the car on every road trip as a kid.  I think I must be super susceptible to this poison.  I joked with the nurse administering the chemo last Wed that one of the drugs actually has the word ‘toxin’ in its name.  May as well be lining up for a bit of arsenic!  :) I don't actually spew after chemo but I feel like I have the worst hangover ever complete with DTs and an inability to move.  I do seem to manage to pack away my entire body weight in food for the 4 days afterwards too (none of which tastes very nice). Bloody steroids.  I spent all day yesterday on the sofa and the tears were never far away.  This journey is such a roller-coaster.

    Today the nausea seems to be plateauing and the fog's lifting. I am coming out of my chemo cave.

    3LittleAngels, you are doing it tough and my heart goes out to you – persistent nausea with kids in tow is a nightmare!  How you are working amazes me. You’re a trooper. Good luck with your treatment today. Will be thinking of you.   I got my period week 2 after first chemo and it was heavy and lasted longer.  I think by the second round, it should stop ovulation (well I’m hoping for this anyway).

    Mandy, we bought a new car too just before my chemo - breast cancer, limited cash, one income, WTF.  But we needed it.  Like you say, live in the moment.

    My youngest spent last night awake with a bad cough and my husband has taken today off work to take her to the doc and help me.  I am bracing for another cold.  Can I go into quarantine for the next 4 months?  I have been thinking about how nice and civilised it would be if they had chemo spas where you get to stay, rest, swim, have massages, eat healthily and stay away from germs for the duration of your treatment. Then you resurface looking a million dollars.  Hmmmm…. I am deluded.

    Have a great week ladies. Xox 

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  • powermom
    powermom Member Posts: 195
    edited February 2013

    Dickie, love the "dead skunk" reference! Great description. My SEs have lasted longer each time, too. A couple of things I have actually been able to enjoy the past few days: sizzling rice soup (actually would have been better without the rice), Stouffers Mac 'n Cheese. I think I ate about 2qts. Of that soup! Oh and another thing was cooked greens - I was surprised that collards tasted so good.



    Good luck tomorrow. We're over the hump!

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  • powermom
    powermom Member Posts: 195
    edited February 2013

    Jubby, Chemo spas! What a great idea.

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  • Sandra60
    Sandra60 Member Posts: 201
    edited February 2013

    Ditto's Jubby on the chemo spa - I think that is a great idea !

    Hope your little one is feeling better soon and hope you can avoid the bug !

    Are you taking Taxotere too ?

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  • ywheels22
    ywheels22 Member Posts: 230
    edited February 2013

    LeeA and Skigirl72: Spin was fun this morning but not sure I am that tough. My thought has been if I feel good, I"m going about my life like I normally would because I know I have treatment Wednesday and Thursday, Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday will just suck (though I hope it will be a bit better?!) and I will be lucky I can get up to pee. I'm only one treatment in and time will tell if my good days will out number the bad ones. I also have Taxol to look forward to cycles 5-8 and who know how that will affect. I have heard it is easier than AC. There is a Taxol thread on here if anyone want to hop on over.

    I hope everyone here has a wonderful week and that SE's are at a minimum. LeeA said it well. "This is a temporary inconvenience." It will pass!

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  • LeeA
    LeeA Member Posts: 1,660
    edited February 2013

    Great attitude, ywheels.  Gotta make hay while the sun shines with this chemo thing!  I walked today - not as fast as usual but I walked so I'm good with it.  

    Have a great week! 

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2013

    For all my Bellas on this Sunday evening:

    "I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily

    I'm here to stay and make the difference that i can make

    Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts

    We got yeah we got a lot at stake

    And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend

    For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn

    We had to learn, how to bend without the world caving in

    I had to learn what i got, and what i'm not

    And who i am"

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1-4u9W-bns 

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  • LeeA
    LeeA Member Posts: 1,660
    edited February 2013

    Thanks, skimommi.  Just listened to it.  Great song.

    --

    This one reminds me of the last few nights - waking up and feeling like sleep might not return - despite the body feeling so, so weary...

    When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep

    Fix You - Coldplay

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY9b6jgbNyc

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  • Fighter69
    Fighter69 Member Posts: 55
    edited February 2013

    Hello everyone, I  pray that your treatments are going well.

    #2 AC in the am. Hair is now coming out in clumps so I feel a trip to the barber is in order. SE's are nausea, hair loss,constipation. For nausea I am taking Pepito bismol, constipation a teaspoon of Epsom salt in hot water and more water . No problems with eating its just that certain smells makes my stomach queasy. Certain chemicals and perfumes. 

    I look at this experience as being reinvented to a more fabulous , stronger than ever before woman.See yourselves better than before that is what I meditate on day and night it helps calm the fears. 

    The elders of times past has a saying its not new really but I guess its how you apply it ."What does not kill you only makes you stronger". And stronger we are I believe that in my heart. When this storm is over and it shall pass over there will be nothing that you can't conquer.

    Fighter

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  • 3littleangels
    3littleangels Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2013

    Thanks for the kind words and support!  Dreading tx #3 tomorrow - but finally had a good non-nauseated day today!!!  Cooked a chicken, stuffing, potatoes, and green beans tonight and had a great dinner with the family Smile  Temporary, temporary, temporary state of existance...key for us all...good luck to all of you this upcoming week, I will be reading and will continue to be inspired by all of you and your strength!! 

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  • SherylB
    SherylB Member Posts: 450
    edited February 2013

    Fighter and 2littleangels,

    Prayers for an uneventful day tomorrow and SEs that are just like a little buzzing fly, annoying but you can deal with it especially with a big flyswatter.

    Hugs, Sheryl

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  • Oliverhog
    Oliverhog Member Posts: 74
    edited February 2013

    Jessica57, I second SherlyB’s comment about the Neulasta.  That dang thing can make you feel worse than the chemo, especially if the dose is too high.  I guess the thing about it is that it acts like a protein in your body that stimulates the production of a specific type of white blood cells and has a half life of between 15 and 80 hours, meaning only half of the drug is cleared from your body after 80 hours or more than three days.  Meanwhile, if the dose is too high, the presence of too many neutrophils in your body can make you feel sick.  After my first shot, my counts were 22,000.  I ended up in the ER on day 12 and had to have 2 liters of fluid by IV because I felt so crappy I wasn’t eating or drinking.  My MO reduced my dose to 3 mg instead of 6 mg.  I’ll see how my counts are on Thursday.

    Martha323, lost my hair to chemo once before.  If I recall, enough of it started to grow at the same time that I wouldn’t have known the difference.  What I remember about the regrowth was that it came back in very dark and shiny, like my hair when I was in high school.  There was some gray in it, like I’d already started having by then.  When I’d run my hands through the stubble, the gray hairs fell out leaving behind beautiful shiny very dark brown hair.  The longer my hair got, the curlier it got.  I always had pretty straight hair until then.

    Oh, Kimmeam, I’m so sorry about your mother.  And that you feel so lousy the day before your husband’s birthday.  But you have to know, he’s probably so incredibly happy that you’re there AND that you’re fighting this battle so you can continue to be there for a very long time.

    InspiredbyD…. The brown stuff on the cauliflower is ripening of the little florets.  I’ve eaten if before when it’s just a tiny amount and it’s light brown.  If you don’t want to, just scrape it off rather than cutting the whole floret off and throwing it away.

    Mandy, I second what Bryona said.  You have just had too, too much happen.  It’s time for things to settle down for you.

    YWheels22, I had my first TC on Friday, 1/10 and my first Neulasta the next day.  On Monday, my heart rate was elevated and I just felt really crap ass.  I couldn’t sleep at night.  I had tried the Claritin with little success.  I happened to have one Percocet left over from my mastectomy.  I took it at about 2:30 in the morning.  I felt much better and my heart rate dropped to its normal range.  I called the MO and explained to her what was going on.  She wrote a script for 30 more percocets.  I take maybe one or two a day for about a week or ten days after the chemo and it works like a charm.

    3LittleAngels, I’m so sorry you’ve been having such a tough time with the nausea.  I sometimes feel a bit envious of everyone’s ability to work and exercise.  This severe restrictive lung disease has left me feeling like I’ve slid really far down the hill and I’m nervous that I won’t be able to climb back up again.  On a brighter note, the fact that your students are so sensitive and thoughtful is awesome.  I love that the one young man went to church and asked everyone to pray for you and admitted it!  I know what you mean about looking in the mirror.  When I had the Hodgkin’s years ago and a recurrence 2 ½ years later, I never ever thought, “why me.”  It was what it was.  Having this shit 24 years later has really filled me with anger, extreme sorrow and despair, anxiety and made me actually say, “why me?”  It sucks.  No bones about it.  It sucks.  But we pick ourselves up and keep marching on ‘til we’re through it.

    LeeA, I love that Coldplay “Fix You” song.  It’s one of my favorites.  It makes me cry.  I want to be fixed so badly.

    KiwiKid, where are you?  Are you O.K.?

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  • Oliverhog
    Oliverhog Member Posts: 74
    edited February 2013

    I found Kiwikid in the Kiwi ladies who need encouragement board.  She seems fine.  Thank the Lord.

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  • LeeA
    LeeA Member Posts: 1,660
    edited February 2013

    Oliverhog, I saw kiwikid post within the last week or so on the December 2012 chemo thread.  Re: the Coldplay song - one day as I was waiting for the plastic surgeon to get to the office I sat back in the examining room and listened to it over and over again.  And ((hugs)) on being fixed.  You've traveled a long road but you are such a fighter!  You're an inspiration, friend!

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  • Oliverhog
    Oliverhog Member Posts: 74
    edited February 2013

    LeeA, you sure are a sweetheart.  You and Bryona are like the rocks on this board.  I'd fall apart without you.  Thank you for the comment and so much more.  Love ya, sister.

    I'm off to U of C tomorrow for a set of pulmonary function tests and I'm a bit worried about that.  Has this chemo started to become toxic to my lungs and caused further reduction?  If so, will my treatments be stopped leaving me at risk for recurrence because we didn't get all the little stray bastards left behind?  Will I not be able to get the radiation treatments?  Oh, I hope and pray my lung functions are at least what they were when I started if not slightly better from the Advair.

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  • LeeA
    LeeA Member Posts: 1,660
    edited February 2013

    Oliverhog, re: your pulmonary tests - I just went straight into my email archives to copy and paste this exactly the way it was written to me by a friend I met on the beach on Kauai back in September.  This has helped me immensely throughout this journey/experience/ride and I hope it helps you just a little bit as well:  

    -

    "maybe i already mentioned that a wise, wonderful, older (than us) woman i met on tunnels beach the day after i arrived said to me "always expect the most favorable outcome."

    as often as you can, lie down, relax, breathe and picture the most favorable experience as if you're already in it." 

    that's the best (unsolicited) advice i can give you

    -

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  • Nanc620
    Nanc620 Member Posts: 38
    edited February 2013

    Hello, Bellas!
    O h how I have missed you all...I have FINALLY caught up on the thread and am happy (or unhappy?) to see so many new faces.  

    I'm belly up to the bar for round #2 tomorrow.  I'm so nervous after the horrible go round last time...though this time I'll not be getting Neulasta, my dosage has been reduced by 20% and   I'll be going in for IV fluids both Thursday and Friday.  Also the family and I know all ( )and I mean all of the warning signs of neutopenia, dehydration and other crap.  I started my day off feeling so agitated I took a Xanax and was quite happy that I didn't feel goofy and felt much calmer.  Of course I also had to take my steroids so I'm wide awake at 2:00 a.m.!!  I have Miralax ready if I end up needing to take the Zofran.  My onco prescribed Ativan to use instead but it knocks me right out.

    I'll check in on Tueday latest to let you know how it went...of course it wasn't until 4 days after the first one I ended up in the hospital in isolation!!  But I'm putting on my Pollyanna hat and going to be positive.  Going to Reiki share tomorrow night, grocery on Tuesday and old lady yoga on Wednesday...I've no time for feeling bad!

    Any of you who haven't joined us on Facebook are welcome.  It is a totally secret group so we can be candid and not worry.  Friend me: Nancy Prior Phillips or Debbie Inzana and we will give you the secret handshake ;-)

    Much love and even more blessings...

    Nanc

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  • LeeA
    LeeA Member Posts: 1,660
    edited February 2013

    Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers, Nanc!  

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  • Zorina
    Zorina Member Posts: 103
    edited February 2013

    My treatment for Valentine’s was deferred,  and it put me into a real funk.  My WBC was over the top high, which didn’t concern the MO,  but I had been running a 100-degree temp for several days and she thought she heard fluid in one of lungs.  I sat there blubbering in her office and managed to make her laugh:  Don’t you understand?  I want chemo,  I love chemo and I especially want my last A/C.   When I saw her amusement,  I added:  I want my drugs! 

    Anyway,  my temp was under 99-degrees today,  so I am expecting to follow the white rabbit down the rabbit hole this morning.  I’ll have tea with the Queen of Hearts (last time!) and a little ‘Hair of the Dog’ with the Mad Hatter.   In a few days,  I’ll start crawling out of Wonderland.   I am not sure where Taxol will take me, but I take a great deal of comfort in the fact that I don’t have to take tea with the Queen anymore.

    Skigirl72  -  I am glad to hear that returning to work has made you feel better.  I am hoping to return after I have dug out of my last A/C treatment.  I think my mental health will improve, and it is good to see that it is working out well for someone else.  I am making arrangements so I can work from home because my WBC has been all over the place.  I don’t need or want to be near a lot of people.  I am fortunate because my employer is really willing to support this.  I think I would go crazy if I didn’t return to work soon

    Skimommi – I don’t like drinking plain water,  but I have had good luck flavoring my water with MIO.  Another option is a product called ‘True Lemon’, and they have more than lemon flavors.  I haven’t tried the new Dasani Drops, but they would probably be similar.  The True Lemon is often found in the baking aisle at the grocery, but the others are found next to the Kool-Aid supplies. 

    3littleAng… - I had my period after my first round of A/C and it took a long time to finish,  then two weeks later I started to spot.  My MO was completely unconcerned about it, and said that it common.

    Hope everyone visiting the Spa today has an uneventful appointment,  that all SEs are minimal for everyone and that the day is good.

    chgogemini  - My treatment 3 wasn’t my worst. Each treatment is slightly different,  I did have a lot more trouble with WBC counts between 2-3, plus I had nausea during the third round. Drugs took care of the nausea easily, and the WBC count improved.   Everyone responds differently, so don’t assume yours will be the worst.  You will definitely be more fatigued with each treatment, though.  I’ve also been lucky because  I have not had any reactions to Neulasta.

    Jubby – I think the chemo spa idea is a great one—especially the idea that you leave looking like a Million Dollars! 

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  • Skigirl72
    Skigirl72 Member Posts: 478
    edited February 2013

    Nanc- Behave yourself today and those bartenders better be nice to you or I'm gonna be mad. I am thinking about you.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited February 2013

    Fighter thanks for the little reminder this morning. Can't be reminded of it enough, and I CAN NOT wait to be out on the other side to find my stronger self. I've questioned and wondered whether I will reinvent myself somehow, or just trudge on. I'm defintely trudging on right now because I just want to get through this sh!t. Not watching what I eat because I need to eat what will taste good. I haven't been working out, but there isn't a great excuse for that one. Let's just hope I don't reinvent into a lazy, hefty cow. LOL

    Oliverhog I'm so glad that you posted the info about the neulasta shot. We have a ton of information out there about it, but you just made a very good point that makes me realize I should have called my MO yesterday. I felt like crap Sat. night and all day yesterday. Yesterday my fever tipped 100.5 a couple of times, but we were able to manage it immediately - so I didnt' call. But, to your point, maybe the neulasta is a little too much for what I need. I questioned her about it at my last visit because my counts are always high by then. But, that is 3 weeks post chemo. She says if we were to take my counts a week earlier they would be low. However, that isn't to say maybe it is a tad too much. I've been taking Clarinitn, but boy o'boy did my bones ache last night. I felt like an 8 year old boy heading into puberty too early. So, I think I will message her just so she is aware. Thanks!! And I will be thinking about you and praying for you tomorrow that you get the results that your body needs for a very long, healthful recovery.

    Zorina, falling down the rabbit hole is the best analogy yet. "One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small, while the one that mother gives you don't do anything at all."

    Anyone making plans for something exciting after we've all come out of the rabbit hole? I've booked a trip for DH and me to head to the Keys in July, and already booked my annual GF's winefest outing. There is a 25 mile bike ride that tours the vineyards on a Saturday morning, then we head to winefest for silly, unadulterated fun.

    ywheels22 I'm ubber jealous of you going to spin class. I've had good intentions, even pack my bag for morning spin some nights, but just can't drag myself there yet. I've made it once. I feel even if I get in there and simply circle my legs it is better than nothing at all. I talked to my DGF about doing a 60 mile ride in June, but rads might push too far into some decent training time for me to pull that off.

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  • martha323
    martha323 Member Posts: 79
    edited February 2013

    fighter 69, 3littleangels, Zorina, Nanc,  My thoughts are with you today. May the bartenders be especially kind and side effects ignore you ..

    OliverHog, Best wishes to you as well with your tests. I hope that the health care peeps are sympathetic and gentle. About hair - my three-week old buzz appears to be taking its time to fall away from my head. I have to admit that I pulled on a tiny little clump and the hair came away very easily - I decided not to do pull it again!

    Lee, The dull dull feeling in my brain on Saturday evening morphed into ... let's see, "On a scale of 1 to 10" about a 2 by Sunday morning, thankfully. I've always had the ability to tune out and get lost in my thoughts, but now the cocktails are doing it for me, I guess. I'm not too happy with the capricious timing or the blank mind! Yikes!

    I'm always impressed with the stories of perserverance on these posts, the candor, and the many words of encouragement and inspiration - thank you!

    Blessings, Martha

    Strange incident: A few days ago I received an anonymous small package filled with about 40 small 'cancersucks' buttons - from cancersucks.org. What was that all about? I have no idea who sent them. Maybe I'm the county cancersucks rep and I don't know it?



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  • SherylB
    SherylB Member Posts: 450
    edited February 2013

    Nancy, you are in my thoughts and prayers as you belly up to the bar for #2.

    Hugs, Sheryl

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  • MandyNJ
    MandyNJ Member Posts: 73
    edited February 2013

    Hi everyone - feeling pretty decent. My skull still has pain but not like it had. I'm not being shy About taking the pain pills for it. I haven't started with the metal or bad taste yet. All in all, I'll take it.



    Hope you're all well. Oliver - good luck w your tests. Praying for good results.

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  • LeeA
    LeeA Member Posts: 1,660
    edited February 2013

    Martha: Maybe I'm the county cancersucks rep and I don't know it?

    LOLOL!

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  • ywheels22
    ywheels22 Member Posts: 230
    edited February 2013

    skimommi: Don't be hard on yourself. I had every intention of going to the gym today for a light workout but never made it. I ended up taking a two-hour nap! Will do some situps, pushups etc. at home but it is not always easy. Just take it day to day and when you have a bit more energy, go. You will feel good about it. Don't feel bad when you don't go. This is a hard journey that completely disrupts our lives. But, it is temporary. If the June ride is not realistic I am sure July will be. I plan on doing a 5k in July. I'm putting together Team Wheels and some of us will run together in Team Wheels t-shirts. I was also hoping to do a run in June but didn't think I'd have enough time to train before so I thought July would be better. I hope you feel well enough soon to get in some exercise.

    We rented a house in Nags Head, Outer Bands for end of May. We are going with another family. My last chemo is May 15 and we leave on May 24. I have every intention of going, praying I am not too run down.

    I also suffered alot of pain from the Nuelasta shot. I found it interesting that some of your MO's said you didn't need or could get a smaller dose. My MO said I had to have it and a smaller dose was not an option. I wonder why that is, even for those of us on the exact same treatment?

    Best to all!

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  • teacherjulief
    teacherjulief Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2013

    Wheels22 - Your trip sounds great.  We are trying to plan a trip for June, after I finish radiation.

    I wanted to let you all know that I went to a program today call Look Good, Feel Better or something like that from the American Cancer Society.  We got makeovers with hypo-allergenic cosmetics (good stuff like CLinique and Neutrogena that we got to take home for free) and lots of tips for taking care of skin, eyebrows, eyelashes, hair and wigs etc.  Felt really good, nice pick me up.  The lady said they offer these all over the country.  They have a cosmetologist volunteer and someone from ACS.  I saw a flyer at the wig shop, but it was offered at the medical center.  There was a mother and daughter there that had us in tears.  The mother survived breast cancer 17 years ago and is now battling lung cancer.  Her daughter just finished breast cancer treatment last fall.  Just wanted to pass that on to everyone if you want to check out the program in your city.

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  • LeeA
    LeeA Member Posts: 1,660
    edited February 2013

    I'm signed up for it in March (LGFB).  Glad to hear you enjoyed it.  I happened to be waiting for lymphedema massage when one of the woman came out from the February gathering.  I guess my ski cap/beanie was a red flag because she came over and said "you should really try to attend the next one" so I went in and signed up right after PT.  The woman who runs the program was there and said the kit includes about $350 in cosmetics/skin care.  

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  • duckiedee
    duckiedee Member Posts: 45
    edited February 2013

    Had chemo #4 today. I'm 2/3 done now with just 2 more treatments to go!!! I met with my oncologist beforehand and got a great report. I am slightly anemic (which explains why I'm feeling so tired most of the time), but she said that is pretty typical with chemo and not much to do in the way of diet to change it. Other than that, though, my blood counts looked beautiful and my recent echocardiogram looked great! (I am on Herceptin, so we have to watch for heart damage...) My doc was so pleased at how well I was tolerating the chemo thus far, so that makes me happy too!

    Chemo was very uneventful today. Still feeling good from the steroids and anti-nausea IV. But I know I'll get the "dead skunk" taste in my mouth starting tomorrow, and the REALLY crummy days will start about Wednesday. But I'll ride it out the best I can and remind myself that this is all temporary.

    Good luck to all you beautiful ladies this week. Let's tell this cancer who's BOSS!!!

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