Starting Chemo October 2012

The tattoos are tiny smaller than freckles, as if I had applied a dot to my skin from the tip of a marker.  I have four that are to ensure I get lined up appropriately for the radiation.  They have said that after chemo this will be a walk in the park, I was actually pretty excited yesterday to get mapped and ready to move on with treatment.  

toots - try copying the hyperlink directly into your browser to open po-ke's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/matchingdreams  

Off to buy a compression sleeve today, apparently there are different colours?! 

oooooo i like that idea toots

Halfcan - good to hear from you!  My lower legs (calves) seem to be giving me the most problems, they seem super tight and achy but still just so glad to be done chemo.  Re. sleeve, yes they recommend for flying, there is custom and off the shelf, they told me to wear two off the shelf on top of each other and a glove when flying and my flight is only 2 hours.  I was doing it as a precaution, yet it seems I do have mild swelling so will have to wear for other activities too.  Good luck with rads tomorrow, what cream are you using? My hospital is recommending Glaxal, but I see the rads board ladies swear by aloe force.  Apparently if I want to use something else I have to get the okay from RO in advance. 

Toots / Celineflower - unfortunately, they didn't have purple sleeves, but you are on to a great marketing idea! My hubby wanted me to see if I could get the colours of the english soccer team he supports! But instead I have boring beige!

301724 - thanks for the information, oh my, I sure hope there is nothing else wrong with me, feel like enough is enough.  I will be sure to mention now to MO.  Was hoping it is because apart from the days post chemo and I didn't get out of bed, I have been walking about 6km daily.  Last week we had tons of snow so I was hoping that from the chemo and a harder walk in the snow that this was the problem? But now will inquire further.  Thanks

It's deep vein thrombosis - AKA a blood clot in your leg. I only ask because I had one shortly after my surgery - and it felt just like tightness in my calf.

Hello Ladies, I hope everyone is doing well.  HAPPY VALENTIN'S DAY TO YOU. i had treatment yesterday (Taxol & Herception). It went okay. Although it only makes me sleep.  I spoke to this lady after treatment and she was saying instead of prolonger her treatment weekly she gotten it all in one day. As in if I was receiving mine 1x weekly for 12 weeks she got all 12 in one day for about 3 hours long. Has anyone heard of this? I was thinking about asking my doctor about it next week…just curious…

Caitgrace ~ thank you for that.

Laubar ~ I hope you are feeling better. I prayed your appointment went well at the lymphodema clinic. So glad to read things are getting better after the appointment. Good luck to you when you start your radiaton seesions.

Po-ke ~ Good you had your last treatment; congrats to you. Sweaty its okay to vent. We are here. I to hate to read of breast cancer ladies past away and wish its more survior stories that out weigh the bad stories but I am sure they are more positive ones out there. When I feel down that is all I think about is all this treatment I am doing going to keep me alive long or am I going to go in a few years. I think why me. My husband keeps telling me baby you got to think more postive because you have me and your son to live for.  That seems to get me on track sometimes but it can be difficult.  You try to keep the faith that your going to beat this cancer as much as you can.   Wow your facebook page is a super good idea. I wish I can help but me and hubby live in a small one-bed room apt. I live in Bermuda and this island would difinit be an escape gate. Times like this I wish I owned my own place. I will pass the information on my facebook page as well. Good Luck I am sure this will take off.

Alco-70 ~ Is Taxol the same as Taxotere? I am on 12 rounds of Taxol & Hercepton weekly. My fingernails are all dark and I to have white lines on all of them. My doctor said it was from the Taxol and to keep them short and as dry as possible. I was a bit concern because I can’t handle my fingernails falling off like my toenails. Most of my toenails are dark colored and have lifted up but none have dropped off yet but very close.  What you mean by “chemo induced menopause”.  I get hot flashes then I am cold. This happens about an hour or so apart but worst at night.  I am 37 years old I hope this is not menopause for me this early in age. . .

CelineFlower ~ I hope your feeling better now.

Marlene18 ~ I have five more treatments to go.  Congrats on the birth of your child. I too have some stubs growing back on my head too…its not growing back dark brown but looks like its either white or gray…not so happy about that but its something. I just notice this week that my eye lashes were dimishing! I was shocked.  I feel our concern about having chemo with a new born but try to look on the bright side like you said…you have your partner plus other people around who is there to help you during your treatment. I am positive things will work out for you in the long run. Good luck.

PatinMN ~ I am going through 12 rounds of Taxol and Hercepton weekly. I have 5 more left to do. I find that I sleep during and for the rest of the day. The day after treatment I am fine.

Jalessi92 ~ I am sorry you felt exhusted and emotional; I hope you feel better now. Its okay to complain my mom always say to me.  Yes we must be thankful to see another day but we are only humans. So shout if you must we are here for each other. Hugs

Toots ~ Congrats on your last treatment!! Good for you.

HVV ~ Congrats on your last treatment too and thanks for the heads up.

So I'm back in the big chair this week I've been dreading this week since Chloe was born but I guess it's time to suck it up and just get on with things. Actually, I had my first herceptin yesterday and it wasn't bad at all - no reaction, no side effects. Today is toxic taxol day though so I'm presently getting the steroid & Benadryl through my IV. Chloe is a nice distraction for everyone on the sixth floor here though My mom is in town doing her share of the baby-holding so that helps a lot. I am really hoping I don't feel too bad, though my MO warns me that evening of day 2 is when I should get a taste of the discomfort beginning.

This week I also have appointments for scans I couldn't have last year while pregnant - MUGA yesterday (EF 61% - yay!) and bone scan Friday. Hoping was very uninteresting results...

Thanks everyone for continuing to check in - you can prepare me for what to expect with rads, which I guess won't be starting until at least May for me.

Oof, getting woozy from Benadryl. Time to curl up and zone out!

Celine Flower:

Thinking of you and wish you the best today. As an RN, I always tell my patients that they really are their own best advocate for medical treatment. As a patient, YOU decide who your team members are, YOU decide what treatments or procedures you are willing to undertake, YOU decide what medications you will and won't take.



I sometimes see patients who are upset...that they're not being listened to or their questions are not being answered, and then that is my call to be their advocate. RNs are patient advocates...we know the doctors, we know the medications and the procedures, we want what's best for you.



Several years ago, I had to drop my primary care doctor from my medical team. I was having pain under my right ribs and occasional nausea which went on for almost 8 months. She sent me for an ultrasound which showed no gallstones, so she blew off my complaints and never took the next step. I also was feeling aching in my left armpit which she blew off for 6 months as muscle pain from my job as a nurse. She finally ordered an ultrasound.



My new primary care doctor ordered a HIDA scan which clearly showed that my gallbladder wasn't working (an 8 % ejection fraction). I had gallbladder surgery in 2010 and haven't had any more problems. The armpit ultrasound showed one of my lymph nodes was 2.4 cm...fairly large for nodes in that area and I was urgently sent to a surgeon for evaluation. I had two nodes removed which were determined to be reactive hyperplasia...fortunately not cancer.



If you are not comfortable with your medical team, it is your right to leave their care and find a new doctor, Don't feel bad about doing that! I now have an OBGYN that I've been going to for 15 years, a primary care doc who listens and aggressively treated my pneumonia in November, a general surgeon with wonderful bedside manner who performed my gallbladder removal, mastectomy, and port placement, and an oncologist who is up to date on the latest cancer research, genuinely cares, and is aggressively treating me for IDC.



I would be there with you if I could!! Thinking of you today!!!



Jen

Jalessi92

Hi 35 smiling.....I hope it's not too late but you can try icing your fingers and toes during the taxol. It will help prevent neuropathy and nail damage. Best to you!

35 smiling - be sure to wear thin knit gloves and socks - put ice in a plastic bag. That way your skin will stay dry and get chilled but not too cold. Good luck!

Hi Ladies; been a while for me checking in, just back from visiting my family out of province.  It was great to get spoiled and looked after by the family, realize how lonely this journey has been and how much I missed my family.  I have two young neices that I love to bits and was worried how they would react to how I look...needless to say they were fine with my baldish head and couldn't get enough feeling it  

I wore two sleeves and a hand guantlet on my flight and that seemed to work well and tonight I have another appt. with a different lymphodema specialist.  The funny thing was I measured both my mom and sister's arms and they also have one arm bigger than the other and didn't have lymph nodes removed! perhaps my slightly larger arm is just a genetic anomoly?

I have had a bit of a pain (very slight) on my shoulder blade when it is touched, expect to see it bruised but it looks fine.  I switched over my purse (had an over body one) that may be was rubbing? I also went back to the gym and have been doing some weights recommended by physio for my "swollen arm" so may be the shoulder blade is the stretched skin from the lymph node dissection?  Yes, trying to convince myself that there is nothing seriously wrong with the bone (original bone scan clear) so surely after all this chemo I'm in the clear for a while? But, certainly I have had the sad realization that any soreness moving forward will be so worrying:(

Start rads tomorrow, can't wait, let's get this show on the road and get it over with.  I'm also going back to work two days a week for the duration of rads, also really excited. 

Okay - enough about me...sorry for my blabbering.

Toots -how great for you to be getting back into your normal life.  As much as I am exercising, my legs still feel like they are lead weights, being in the water sounds like a good idea!

Marlene - how lucky for everyone to have the lovely distraction of your daughter, you must be brightening the spirits of everyone in the room. I can imagine seeing you with your new baby would give everyone so much hope and pleasure.

Celineflower -I hope everything went well with your appt. and you were able to channel your sister to advocate for yourself, so sorry that you have this to worry about on top of everything else. Looking forward to hearing a positive update from you.  Lots of good advice from Jalessi92. 

35_smiling: so sorry about your nails.  As per 301724 I also iced and so far so good.  In addition before each treatment I cut my nails really short and applied a clear nail hardener that I kept on between treatments, good luck.  

po_ke: hope you had a great trip, what a nice get away! Also, how wonderful to have such positive news about the efficacy of your treatment!

New information regarding benefits of omega 3's inhibiting breast cancer: http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2013/02/omega3s_inhibit.html seems flaxseed delivers lots of omega 3's this is now on my grocery list

Love to all xxoo

Happy birthday, 35 smiling!

My treatment went okay yesterday. Well…I cried for about 15 minutes and had idea or clue why…it was strange. This is the second time I start to cry and have no reason for it.  I mean it’s not that I am going to my treatments alone; my husband and cousin (who also is a survivor of Breast Cancer) are there with me every week! Has this happen to anyone? I am not going crazy am I?

Well I did try iced my feet and hands during treatment (the nurse looked at me strange so I explained to her what I read on this site) but I woke up today and good lord my toes feels more numb then before and my finger nails are hurting now. My finger tips still feel numb like before and haven’t gotten any worst like my feet. I also noticed last night my hot flash was coming on hotter too.  Talk about no sleep for me and my poor husband. All well…. I will try it again next week and see what happens. 

halfcan ~ Thank you so much for the birthday shout out!

Toots ~ Thank you so much for the birthday shout out! Also, thank you for sharing to us what our friend sent you.  That was so beautiful and inspiring to read.

35 smiling, taxol is well known for causing numbness and tingling in hands and feet. I don't believe icing will help with that - it's more for nail problems. What was suggested to me for the numbness/tingling was this: Vitamin B6 - 100 mg per day, and glutamine powder - 30 grams per day, split into 2 or 3 doses. You can get the glutamine powder at GNC (if you have GNC where you are) or I'm sure you could order it over the Internet. For the GNC kind, 30 grams is about 2 heaping tablespoons. I mixed 1 heaping tablespoon in 8 oz of iced tea and drank that twice a day. You can mix it in whatever you want. I had 12 weekly taxol and used the glutamine on the day of treatment and 3 following days. You could use it every day if your tingling and numbness continues. These 2 things seemed to help me. My chemo nurse told me I should continue the glutamine for a few weeks after finishing taxol. I didn't because I didn't think I needed it, but then about 2 weeks PFC I developed a numb big toe. It's going away - mostly gone now at about 12 weeks PFC. I did start up the B6 again. Good luck to you.