January 2013 chemo group

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  • SeattleMama
    SeattleMama Member Posts: 147
    edited April 2013

    ywheels22 have you tried holding a spoonful of yogurt in your mouth?  When I was nursing, babe and I both got a case of thrush (happened to be my bad boob btw) and they gave me all kinds of concoctions and nothing worked.  I ended up applying yogurt to me and spoonfuls to babe, cleared up in 1 freakin' day!!

    Skigirl72 YES hearing issues.  I have always had something like bionic hearing for years....now, after taxol, its a strange buzzing, or in and out. Its not constant, but bothersome. and YES, OliverHog THE PINGING!!!  Wa-eird stuff.

    And I'm with Zorina, my mouth is all jacked up, seems like my adenoids (?) or tonsils (?) are swollen by 3rd day.  No doubt dealing with lymph nodes, but I just took a 'recovery' dose of Lymphatone and hoping that gets everything moving and then settled down.

    InspiredbyDolce let us know about the shark steamer.  I want one ! :)

    Wishing everyone minimal side effects and a peaceful evening

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

    SeattleMama, the Lymphatone product sounds interesting.  I just added it to my Amazon wish list.

    I've had a side of the tongue pain/lymph node swelling/slight earache thing at various times throughout the chemotherapy cycle(s).  Really annoying.  Of course, my imagination goes crazy - wondering if it could be something nefarious like . . . cancer.  Then I stop and think  "Duh!  You're being treated for cancer, Lee!"  Another one of those out-of-body "oh look at her - she has cancer, wait, that's ME having cancer" moments.  Hard to describe the feeling but I think it's one of self-preservation.  

    --

    Debra, I'm curious about the Shark mop as well. 

    --

    Oliverhog, yep, some of those drugs can cause strange, longlasting side effects. 

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

    Debra, I am definitely requesting the same anesthesiologist and there's a good chance her husband will be the plastic surgeon.  I'm not sure if that prohibits them from working together or not (I hope not!). 

    BTW, great photo of you and Michelle (I follow the What's For Dinner thread but haven't been posting much because of being in the midst of chemo). 

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  • SherylB
    SherylB Member Posts: 450
    edited April 2013

    Oliverhog,

    All I have on my chest is round tape discs with Xs on them. I go again today and I think I will get the tatoos today and hopefully my first treatment, if not today definitely tomorrow.

    Sheryl

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  • ywheels22
    ywheels22 Member Posts: 230
    edited April 2013

    Seattle: Thanks I will try holding it on my tongue. I eat yogurt everyday but have not placed it on my tongue. I thougth the probiotic would help and I think it did as far as my stomach goes. I don't have that weird lump feeling in my throat or stomach anymore, but very annoying my tongue still has a white haze on it!

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  • smethot
    smethot Member Posts: 161
    edited April 2013

    Ok...i finally came up with SE's- aside from my unwanted egg-head.  I had no prob with my first taxol- went smoothly as usual.  Got my neulasta on Friday and got ACHEY on Sat & Sun.  Legs specifically- felt like i'd run a freaking marathon.  Nothing i can't handle (i am very tough) but unexpected.  I was still able to go for an hour and a half walk on Sat and an hour walk on Sunday...must fight the NINE FREAKING POUNDS I'VE GAINED IN 8 WEEKS!!!  Totally suck-tastic...the bulge is NOT allowed to continue!  Feel better today- still on the tylenol- and i'm actually into work for a presentation today- i usually stay home for 3 work days after treatment.  Down to 38 days left!!!  Woop-woop!  And my summer vacay starts at the same time.  Hubby & i take our vacation as long weekends throughout the summer, starting May 2-4 weekend (Victoria Day here in Canada- like your Memorial Day but for the Queen) and Ending Labour Day (and yes, that's how we spell it in Canada).  Basically, we have long weekends all summer and don't work a full week for 17 weeks straight!  Its glorious.  AND the start of vacay coincides with the end of stupid-old chemo!  Woop woop!

    Live it up ladies!  xoxoxxo   Shan

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  • Skigirl72
    Skigirl72 Member Posts: 478
    edited April 2013

    totally suck-tastic! LOL

    My weight has stayed the same through all of this. I would have thought it would go down because I am eating better but oh well. So I guess I would have gained weight if I continued all the crappy food intake.

    Taxol #2 today. Sitting in the chair... benadryl and dex are in... waiting for a bit then off we go for round #2!!!

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  • smethot
    smethot Member Posts: 161
    edited April 2013

    Debbie- are you weekly or dose dense?  Are you getting achey?  Do you get pepcid in your bendryl drip?  I thought that part was awesome!

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  • SeattleMama
    SeattleMama Member Posts: 147
    edited April 2013

    {{waves and huggs}} Skigirl72

    ywheels22 hope the yogurt does the trick ;)

    LeeA   "Another one of those out-of-body "oh look at her - she has cancer, wait, that's ME having cancer" moments."
    So relate.......
    re: Lymphatone - - vedy, vedy intwesting.  Second time I've used it.  I bought it before surgery, along with a plethora of other goodies at Whole Foods.  Couldn't use before surgery, was too nervous to use directly after surgery, couldn't use during chemo, just waited enough out to feel comfortable enough to try.

    Summation (so far): After taking first dose, I felt lymph liquid moving from surgery-side arm to trunk.  Now, I had felt this before directly after surgery, so it was not necessarily new.  It feels like warm liquid cascading down the side of trunk from armpit to hip. and it SEEMS to have taken some of the swelling down from my arm - where I have a sleeve and gauntlet.
    So, yesterdays dose, I announced to hubby and daughter "I'm taking it! Let's see what happens"  I felt it working again (about 20 min after ingest) and my neck (nodes) felt MUCH BETTER.  Of course, whether it is the placebo effect, dunno, but its working :D 

    Shan seems our northern friends get it right!!!  Nice summer ahead for you:)  Enjoy

    BTW: sadly, but truly, not every person on Earth is on f_c_book.  That includes me.  Cry for me, laugh at me, get mad at me, but I don't do it.  {{giggle}}  just FYI since you all migrated over there :P

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  • Skigirl72
    Skigirl72 Member Posts: 478
    edited April 2013

    I am weekly Taxol. My count was 2.5... up from 1.1 last week.! YAY!!!!I do get pepcid also. Heartburn is an issue for me under normal circumstances so I welcome the help...

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  • SeattleMama
    SeattleMama Member Posts: 147
    edited April 2013

    Skigirl72 just from my experience, ANY heartburn, no matter what the cause (eg. pregnancy, medicines, chemo, etc) I take 1 tablespoon of raw, organic apple cider vinegar (Braggs).  Just my 2 cents, it has always worked.  I had a horrible bout during pregnancy, and couldn't find anything to curb it - till I found Braggs.  Now I take it during chemo if it shows its head, and voila, relief is almost immediate.

    What I found out, is that we have heartburn/reflux when our stomachs don't produce enough acid to digest.  So the vinegar stabilizes that to normal.  Sometimes its hard going down, because its to harsh, but it subsides almost instantly as does the heartburn.  And you can keep taking as much as you need/want.  Also, lack of stomach acids does not seem to correlate with whole body being acidic.  I got my body/overall pH levels to alkaline before surgery, and still had some heartburn issues.  Braggs to the rescue :)

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  • hope49
    hope49 Member Posts: 370
    edited April 2013

    sandra60, I was so happy to see your post!  i've been wondering how you have been and I'm glad to hear you are doing well.  Tomorrow, I go for my rads setup, and am glad to hear its going good for you so far...any tips are welcome!  I always remembered what you said about eating popcorn (my favorite snack) so I stayed away from it during chemo and just finally had a big bowl this weekend - yum!  Hope to see you more on here!

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  • hope49
    hope49 Member Posts: 370
    edited April 2013

    seattlemama, I second your recommendation for the ACV - it is so good for so many things.  I was just reading yesterday about detoxing and it advised:

    Drink apple cider vinegar: 1 tablespoon in water before a meal (start with one meal, possibly work up to two). This helps to optimize your absorption of Vitamin B12 and Iron from your stomach by increasing your stomach acid. Most of us actually LACK stomach acid.


    I used to think I WAS the only person on the planet not on FB, and I was a very reluctant participant, but I am happy I made the move - it's much easier to have discussions there.  I set up a page but I don't have anything on it and set all my security info to private so no one can see anything unless I authorized them...just a thought for anyone who is still not sure about joining us...you can be set up so that you're just partiicpating with the Bellas and don't have to worry about the rest of the world...

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  • SeattleMama
    SeattleMama Member Posts: 147
    edited April 2013

    hope49 oooooooooooooooh! This helps to optimize your absorption of Vitamin B12 and Iron DID NOT KNOW THIS, thank you thank you thank you. :)

    {{giggle}} re: fb  <enormous grin> yes, yes, dearie, thank you.  I even had one of my brooklyn mom friends beg to set a page up for me 3 years ago  LOL 

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

    Skigirl~~what got your counts up so quickly?



    Paula

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  • Skigirl72
    Skigirl72 Member Posts: 478
    edited April 2013

    LOL I have no idea how my counts got back up so quickly. I just kept my mouth shut in case it was a mistake. The only thing I can think of is that AC was so hard on us and weekly Taxol is as my MO calls it "chemo lite". I also have been diligent on eating better and I drink the Magic Mineral Broth from my cancer cookbook like hot tea. Its got like every veggie in it and it tastes good. Or its just been coming back up the further out I get from AC. Or maybe it was all of the prayers and good vibes from all of you here on this thread.

    I told them about the hearing... or lack of it... issue and they were not overly concerned. They said sometimes it comes and goes and others have it the entire time. fun!

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  • ywheels22
    ywheels22 Member Posts: 230
    edited April 2013

    Skigirl: what is in the Magic Mineral Broth? Is is easy to make?

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  • cancernoway
    cancernoway Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2013

    Bryona - Thanks, yes my medical history hasn't been all that fun.  They couldn't find a medication that I didn't have a reaction too so they kept me on high doses of steroids for years.  It took me 11 years to get completely off of them.  Needless to say, my body took a beating.  I would go from normal weight of about 150 (I'm almost 5ft 9in) up to 195 in 6 weeks and then they would try to take me off the steroids and I would drop to 105 in another 6 weeks.  I have had 7 kidney stones due to the wonderful steroids and I got arthritis at a young age due to abusing my body from sports and again the steroids.  I dehydrate very easily since I don't have a colon so I have to be super careful on a normal basis to keep my fluid intake up.  At my worst point in time of before I had it removed I was on a clear liquid diet for 8 months.  Now that was a good time.  I can hardly stand the taste of Gatorade, but I can drink it if I know I need it but I can NOT eat Jello.  It makes me gag.  I sometimes wonder if the steroids had a hand in my BC diagnosis, but I guess I will never know.  They seem to have messed with about every other aspect of my physical being.  At one point in time I was taking 210 mg a day.  I was able to sleep about an hour and a half a day with the help of Halcion which made me have crazy ass dreams.  Talk about a clean house, our house was spring cleaned daily.  I am so glad that all of that is over with, there is no way I could deal with both issues at the same time.  After my surgery though, I felt so much better and it was amazing to have a "normal" life.  So glad that they were able to fix it. 

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  • ywheels22
    ywheels22 Member Posts: 230
    edited April 2013

    Wow Cancernoway: you are amazing and strong, stronger than I could ever be. God Bless you! You are an inspiration!

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  • cancernoway
    cancernoway Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2013

    Skigirl - So glad your counts are up.  That is great!  I hope your hearing gets better.  That would make me crazy.  We stayed in a motel one time that had a cricket in the air conditioner.  I took the air conditioner apart and couldn't find the little sucker.  Put it back together and it didn't chirp for about 1/2 hour.  Almost fell back to sleep and it started back up.  I took a pillow out to my truck and slept there and left my husband in the room.  He slept through it and didn't even know I left the room.  I was so pissed, if I could have found that little sucker, I would have tortured it just for good measure.

    I can hardly wait for the day I'm done with chemo and starting radiation.  I know it won't be long, but it still feels so far away.  I want my taste buds to be back to normal and to not dread every 3 weeks.  Only two more treatments to go and trust me, the count down is on. 

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  • cancernoway
    cancernoway Member Posts: 90
    edited April 2013

    Wheels - Thank you, I just deal with what is thrown at me.  You know the saying, that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. 

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  • Skigirl72
    Skigirl72 Member Posts: 478
    edited April 2013

    YWheels and anyone else here is the recipe.

    http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2010/09/magic-mineral-broth-for-vegetable-soup-recipes.html

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  • Sandra60
    Sandra60 Member Posts: 201
    edited April 2013

    Hope - I post mainly on the December chemo board . Will check in here though more - Thank You for your kind words !!

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  • kingboo
    kingboo Member Posts: 28
    edited April 2013

    Thanks for the apple cider vinegar to curb heartburn info. I also have "lump in my chess" feelings and burp a lot.

    Can we stay on this link when we move on the radiation?

    I will have my last TC#4 this Friday.  I am hoping for minimal SE for everyone.

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  • Zorina
    Zorina Member Posts: 103
    edited April 2013

    Shannon - Did you have reactions to Neulasta while you were on A/C?  What you described (pain in legs) is exactly what happens to me two days after Taxol---I've never had any reaction to Neulasta,  so I know it is the Taxol.  Maybe you are feeling taxol.

    Taxol 3 was pretty easy on me with regards to pain.  The only thing I did differently is drink tonic water (minus the gin),  and the experience has been so different this time, that I am just going to assume the tonic water helped with the leg muscle pain.  I've used it for leg cramps in the past, so I guess there could be some correlation.  Tonic water is fairly cheap, so give it a try.

    Neuropathy in my feet has increased after TX#3, and for the first time I have neuropathy in a couple of my fingertips.  Usually the neuropathy improves between treatments, so I am hoping the fingertips return to normal. in the next week  It's a good thing that I only have one more treatment left. 

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  • hope49
    hope49 Member Posts: 370
    edited April 2013

    Re: leg pain...my MO said that the taxanes are very hard on the muscles...I notice this since I work out each day and noticed at night when I stretched in bed that my legs and abs were really sore even though I wasn't working that hard...my legs also felt heavyier/achier when going up stairs or walking quickly.  Once I finished, it has gotten better but I think will take some time to get back to normal.  I also wonder if my lower RBC has something to do with it...never a dull moment!

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  • melody46
    melody46 Member Posts: 279
    edited April 2013

    Hi Bryona,  Did you have a reaction to chemo?  I ask because I did with my first two and the last one they gave me about 60 mg over 12 hours before I started and it seemed to stop it this time.  Thanks    PS I'm from seattle area too, shoreline :)

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  • smethot
    smethot Member Posts: 161
    edited April 2013

    Hey Zorina- no reaction to AC and my neulasta at all- except for the freakish egg-head.  The leg muscle/joint pain is better today- but still there...meh- if its the worst it gets, i can handle it.  Like i said before, i have a hard time differentiating between SE's and normal Shannon-pain- the transition from cold to warm weather (& precipitation & up & down temps) always sends my funky-bod for a loop.  I keep singing Gloria Gaynor in my head (better than that damned Carly Simon) and telling myself to butch up...this is still SOOOOOOO much better than the alternative....begone bastardly cellular insurgents!!  And i'm sure the lot of you are thinking its about time i had SOME SE's...aside from my freakish egg-head.  And i will definitely try the tonic water...thanks!

    On a happier note, I am 15 MONTHS out from my next Italy vacay and planning like a mad-woman.  Here's what i've got so far:  somewhere between 17-21 days in Italy.  Fly into Rome for 3- 4 days and revisit the things we loved the first time and wander about eating and soaking up the vines in fabulous Roma...i love Roma.  Then the train to Naples for 3- 4 days where we'll gorge on pizza and vino and do day trips to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Vesuvuis, as well as exploring the "old city" and doing some church visits and subterannean tours...nifty.  Did i mention BEST PIZZA IN ITALY???  After that, its off by hydrofoil for a week on the Amalfi coast- we're staying at a B & B located at one of the most famous restaurants in Positano, located 1000m above Positano with the MOST spectacular views...its insane!  Day trips to Amalfi, Capri and walking the mountian paths- notably a path called the Path of the Gods.  I need 15 months to plan...

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  • Skigirl72
    Skigirl72 Member Posts: 478
    edited April 2013

    I would love to go!!! What a beautiful picture. I spent a few weeks in Spain with side trips to Gibraltar and Morocco.... Very cool experience...

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  • Bryona
    Bryona Member Posts: 214
    edited April 2013

    Cancernoway, wow, what a ride you've been on. And here's my modified version of that saying: What doesn't kill you will pay for pissing you off!



    kingboo, we can use this thread for as long as it's useful to us. Some of the monthly chemo threads stay active for years. :)



    melody, I didn't have any reaction to the Taxol at all; the 60the mg steroid dose was preventitive, and I guess it worked. And you're in Shoreline? I used to live up there! Where are you getting treated?



    Shannon, sweet travel plans! Are you doing rads this summer between your mini-vacays? I just got my renewed passport in the mail, and it's so empty and clean that I want to jump on a plane TODAY! I was planning a month in France this summer, but something got in the way. Hmm... what was that? Anyway, I'm shooting for next year, but I may journey to the francophone Great White North for a few days this summer as a temporary replacement. Quebec City looks like Europe...



    Hope49, nice try with getting SeattleMama on facebook, but she's a stubborn one. Awfully loveable, though!



    And now for Bryona's moment of genius: Today, I really wanted a treat. I mean I REALLY wanted a treat. Now, I know that all sugary foods have made me feel sick ever since I started chemo, and that they make my mouth hurt, but did that stop me? Oh, no, not at all. I wasted perfectly good chocolate knowing it wouldn't taste good and it would feel crap-tabulous. Crazy person, right? Some treat! Yup, I am a smart, smart smarty. Don't hate me 'cuz I'm beautiful! :)

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