Starting Chemo February 2013

LW I have had a horrible itchy rash and reflux too. My right eye has started twitching today too-lovely. I am taking claritan daily for the rash plus have hydrozine? when it itches. The rash worries me - the last go round it started right after chemo. I don't know if its a side effect or allergic reaction. I will be sharing this with my MO before my last treatment this week.

Add me to the list of eye twitchers. Just one more thing to make me look like Quasimodo.

They're not joking about the fatigue being cumulative. Washed my car today, really not a stenuous activity. I had to literally take breaks from vacuuming because the weight of the little hand-vac was too much. By the time I finished with the car, I was completely out of breath like I had run 10 miles. Crazy. Soooo ready to get my energy back. I do hope when I'm back to "myself", I will be more appreciative of the things I can accomplish and less critical of what I can't. 

Goodnight ladies!

Agreed on loss of strength, it's amazing how out of breath I get from the simplest things-very frustrating. Does anybody know why? I know it's a SE from chemo, but specifically what chemo is doing to cause this? I worry that my heart or lungs are being permenantly damaged. When I take a very deep breath, I feel a rawness in my lungs. Will have to tell mo.

To those with the twitchy eye, I would rather have that then the ugly sore styes I'm getting. At least people think your winking at them! Whenever I approach people I can tell my red swollen no makeup eye is the first thing they look at with an "ewww" expression ;(

Well soon to be over, my last chemo is wed!!! I hope it did its job in exchange for replacing me with an ugly exhausted ackey twin!

Hello ladies!  I haven't been on for a long time, just not able to keep up with everything these days.  I had my TC #5 last Wednesday, so I am very happy to say only 1 more left.  Unfortunately, I feel like the fatigue is kicking my butt!   I am still working full time and have only had to miss 1 day other than my tx days.  Let me go on to say that getting through the day really does me in though.  That takes all of my energy, and some days more than I thought I had.  My kiddos have been keeping me busier than earlier in the tx with their activities, & I can't get past the guilt of not being able to show up because I'm tired, so I go.  I think I just do it because this BC has screwed up so much of my life the last 8 months that I will not let it screw up their lives-look out for the momma bear syndrome! 

Most of you sound like you're motoring through with the lovely SE's, which I am comisserating with.  Congratulations to those of you who have finished or will this week!  You've crossed the finish line!  For those of you that are having to fight harder than most-my thoughts are with you as you battle!  

I don't have the heart racing, but definitely get out of breath easily. I also have acy thighs and sharp spasms that shoot through my back. I was thinking that was the neulasta shot.

I was told that its the taxotere causing bone pain in my thighs. I was on neulasta all along and did not experience any bone pain when I was on the FEC part of chemo. For me, the pain started on 3rd day after first taxotere, so I'm pretty sure that's what caused it for me. The thought that I may always have this is very depressing, so I will go to my last chemo with the attitude this is temporary. IamNancy, if you think about it, 3 weeks isn't very long. I've been on ac3 week cycle and have the shortness of breath for the whole 3 weeks. The only thing that seems to get better by the 3rd week is my taste buds, otherwise the fatigue, shortness of breath, bone pain, neuropathy are all there at 3 weeks. I'm guessing its going to take a lot longer than I thought to bounce back. I would just love to take my dog for a 20 minute walk at some point this summer!

Sometimes I feel like I need an ambulance to follow me walking up my basement steps!! I have heard that it takes a good 6 months to get all this poison out of your system. I am hoping it wont take that long but YIKES! Next week I am starting the thrive program at my cancer center. It is a very low pace exercise program to start getting you back to some sort of strength. Well see if I can even do it. My goal is to just feel somewhat better by my daughters wedding Aug 10th. Oh and hopefully have these horrible tissue expanders out before the wedding. They are lopsideded and lumpy and HURT!!!

That is great ywheels that you have been doing that!!!. I feel like my body is falling apart at this stage....so the prednisone shrunk the lymph nodes in my lungs so that they are now normal and cannot be biopsied.  Just waiting so hear what the docs are recommending. So if everything going wasnt enough.. my kidneys decided to get in on the action .. had to go to ER last night.. kidney infection.. thank you... what organ is next lol

Seeing my radiation onc and genetic counsellor person on Thursday.. getting braca results and really hoping rad onc isnt going to say that radiation is also out because of this stupid sarcoidosis thing

I think one thing we all have to remember is everyone has a different cocktail for Chemo. I had a friend who told me she went walking everyday and never missed a day of work. I had my bar set pretty high that I would be the same way. Well turned out my dose of chemo was much harder/ not at all the same as hers so I cant knock myself down for not being able to do those things. My MO said your getting a VERY hard Chemo. Listen to your body and do what you can. Don't push yourself. I was very upset the day I tried to walk around my block and couldn't make it. I just had to remind myself its NOT forever. Its hard to not compare myself to others that are doing so great, working full time and at the gym, when before I had cancer I was in spinning class and on the elliptical for 45 min. I know I will get there again someday. Right now I feel an extreme amount of accomplishment to be able to keep up the laundry, dishes, and make dinner!! It is a major bummer to be so weak and have 15 extra pounds on me!! My hubby says you are fighting for your health not how you look in your jeans so I have to remember that!!!

Rdrunner I know how you feel about the lymph gland. My chemo has shrunk down the one with cancer and now we cant go in and get it as it looks the same as the others. My MO says if it was her body she would want it out. SO now the choice to blindly go in and hope we get it or what?? Frustrating........

Finished my 5th round of chemo and I am still flat on my butt.  I am so exhausted.  I had scheduled the Look Good Feel Better program on Wednesday, but I had to cancel because I am just too tired to get there.  Disappointed, but I did reschedule for next week.

As I read through these post, they really make me laugh out loud.  Some of our descriptions, which are just down right 100% are so funny.  Nobody else would understand unless they went through this comedy of errors. 

good luck to you slv58! at least as you deal with the side effects, you know each day can only get better.

I had a needle guided biopsy two years ago.. ( probably the start of all this when I think back) anyway it was a piece of cake. No worries!!

I can't fit into most of my shorts. I really don't want to buy any bigger, that would feel like committing to this weight gain as permanent. Not doing that! I sure hope some energy and strength return quickly after last chemo.....

Hi everyone, had my last chemo (with mixed feelings because this has been my first line of defence that I won't have anymore) and got to ring the bell!

I discussed my concern at my shortness of breath with my mo and she was quite concerned and told me that it is not necessarily a SE of chemo! She said that chemo will deconditions you but that if I'm walking and get out of breath that this could be a sign of a blood clot in the lung. She immediately sent me for a chest x ray and I am awaiting her phone call. She said that I will also need a cat scan. Scary, but happy I told her and didn't just assume it was a side effect. The other not great news I got, in feb I had a vaginal ultrasound (along with pelvis, stomach) and my uterus was showing thickening, I was still getting my period as I had just started chemo. It was recommended to follow up with another US in 3 months. Had that yesterday morning and now appears the thickening has infiltrated the middle layer of uterus with irregular borders-probably cancer but assured it is totally unrelated to my bc. So now I have to see my gyno and try and figure out when I can fit in a hysterectomy with a lumpectomy and rads. I'm in disbelief and because this cancer seems to have progressed in 3 months I really don't want to leave it till after rads which will be another 4 months. I know I have to take this one day at a time but for some reason this took me by surprise with the worst timing considering the treatments I still have left. Sorry for long post, but just really need to vent and ask for some positive thoughts, thank you my sisters!