Chemo May 2013

Most chocolate tasted like crap to me.  A friend had sent me a dozen chocolate covered strawberries from Shari's Berries, and it tasted bland.

I didn't mind Lintz truffle balls though.  The red and caramel ones were okay.  I spent a lot of time watching food shows and ended up buying a crumb cake from Carlo's Bakery.  That tasted bland to me too.  I froze the rest of it and need to take it out to try it again.  Georgetown Cupcakes were good though.    I still have most of that dozen in the freezer too.  Pastrami from Katz deli was good.  Still have a pound of that in the freezer too.  

Do you see a pattern here?

Ladies, I found my hot pink wig and ordered it today:



http://www.wigs.com/product_info.php?products_id=4351



Also discovered that the folks at wigs.com are having a 30% off sale today, if you use the code REMEMBER when you check out. Thought maybe others might find a discount helpful, too, if you are paying out of pocket for yours.



Am having a major wave of SE's today. I am 5 days out from my infusion, and was told this was about when they would hit. But that doesn't make it easier: low grade fever, major bathroom issues, painful mouth, itchy skin, you name it. Just trying to keep liquids coming in to replace what I am losing and resting as much as possible. If i am not feeling better by tomorrow, I'm calling my doc's office. Please tell me this will ease in a few days...feeling awful for my hubby and 10 year old daughter, but I need to get over my "take care of everyone else" syndrome and just worry about me, I suppose. SIGH. Ain't nothing easy about chemo, is there?

Hello, ladies. I am an interloper from the January 2013 chemo group.  I underwent a mastectomy and six cycles of a/c in 2002, and a second mastectomy, salpingoophorectomy, and four cycles of t/c this past winter and spring.  I am here to assure you that you WILL get through this!  You may feel like crap sometimes, but you WILL feel better.  Food may taste like cardboard, but it WILL taste normal again.  You may have to deal with side effects, but they WILL subside.  You may hardly be able to get out of bed sometimes, but your energy WILL return.  You may lose your hair, but it WILL grow back.

God bless you all on your journeys!

Ziffy

check with your oncologist, but I was told to try immodium.  I didn't take it though.  Just suffered through it.  Sometimes things would go right through me, sometimes they wouldn't.  Make sure you are drinking lots of fluids (water, lemonade, juice) to stay hydrated.

Thanks for the comments about my mom (the one who had the stroke last year and the decision to proceed with chemo).  It was postponed from last week to this week (mostly, because I thought she was getting a cold which she wasn't).  Just like last week, I am having second thoughts about the decision to proceed with chemo.  One minute I feel confident and hopeful that the side effects will be managable.  The next I think about how tired she is right after her hour long physical therapy...until she gets a root beer and a doughnut.  (yes, I know not healthy).  Or how she is tight after sitting on the couch for a few hours.  And try to imagine if she will even be able to stand up on the "tired" days of chemo.

Plus, I mention chemo and that she will feel bad for a few days, but that it will go away, etc.  I explain that it is best to kill any cancer cells now, because she might get cancer in a place they can't treat it.  Remember she can't really speak, but has been able to understand more and more.   Her phrase is "I don't know" which sometimes comes out when she can't find the "right words" she wants to say. Of course, sometimes it is an appropriate "I don't know", too.

When I talk about going for chemo, she says I don't know, then eventually makes a face and says no.  I don't know if she can make rational decisions.  Like, she decides if she wants to go the store or stay in the car, or if her clothes are dirty.  But, somedays she would skip therapy if I didn't convince her to go, and sometimes she is impulsive and touches her toothbrush to the bottom of the sink (yuck!).   My brother talks to mom and gets her to agree to trying at least one treatment to see how it goes.   Then, I ask to confirm and she is back to "I don't know."

I can't imagine her anxiety about the whole thing (though with how much I've cried today, maybe I can).  I think of how I procrastinate and postpone and would do anything to get out of a colonoscopy...this is way more than that.  She went through fatigue issues when getting adjusted to anti-seizure meds.  She missed alot of therapy and her walking and strength suffered. 

It is so hard to know what is right.  The doctor says because she is improving we should do it.  I know it is her best defense.  Sometimes my brother says- maybe, we should cancel it, if mom doesn't want it, she has been through so much in the last year, maybe we should let her enjoy the progress she has made, and just see what happens. 

Back and forth we go.  And I still haven't told her sister.

Yes Onc said to take Imodium every 30 mins and if it doesn't stop I'm heading to the ER in 3 hours



I'm definitely ony doing the Brat diet tomorrow. I'm also going to have a talk with my doc about my nausea I'm so envious of those that are doing well.

yep, except mine is triple negative.  There was cancer in the node when they did the biopsy in december, but everything was gone when they did the surgery.  

I hope you are feeling better soon and don't need to go to the hospital.  immodium works pretty well.

Happy Memorial Day everyone



Lorrie this crap does suck! I was feeling down the other day and it hit me too out of nowhere. It is so good to come here where everyone understands the feeling. I thought 2nd chemo but would be less anxiety ridden but found I still needed xanax morning of. Am hoping for better for 3rd one on Thursday. Would like to work after since I generally have no se's until Friday.



Hope everyone's se's are mild today so the holiday can be enjoyed.



Lisa

Hello Ladies,

I have a TMI question! Has anyone had blood in their stool?  Just noticed it over the weekend and see its one of the "notify the doctor" situations. Sigh......I'm thinking it must be the same as the scabby, bloody nose I've had since Treatment 1....but will call the doc tomorrow. Anyone else experience this?

Hi, my name is Grace and I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma on April 29th.  I had a left mastectomy on May 15th and begin chemo on June 4th.  Today is my first day on the chat groups and I definitely feel more relieved reading here than reading information/misinformation 'out on the web.'  A mix of emotions, mainly apprehension of how the chemo will make me feel.  I can deal with the hair loss, but am afraid of the nausea.  Reading your story really helped me to see that this is a bump in the road and I will get better and move on.  

Ziffy - Thanks for the encouragement and to keep our eye on the prize!

Wildabandon - Welcome! Great group of women here to walk the path with. Dont worry, treatment, while no picnic is doable. My onc says some people just breeze through it....although I've yet to really meet one!

Ukkate - yes, I think its most likely hemmeroids. Will it never end! I'm in Greensboro, and yes the weather...finanlly!....is gorgeous.

Gully, pickles!!!!  They taste good, at least they did to me.  If you have a trader joe's near you, their kosher dill pickles were the best!

Ladies - what a holiday weekend going through all this.

I was told to direct gatorade, espcially if you think you are getting dehydrated.  I eat a homemade smothly(spinach, fruit, yougurt) almost everyday and I add almond milk..thinking that is some sort of bevearge addition.  Feels good on the throat also. 

I met with a nutritionist.

AmyMax -    I asked about soy products being ER+.  She told me there has been some contraversy  about this.   At one time (have we not heard this before) they thought it was not good to eat soy when your cander is ER+, it helped "fuel" it or something, so they thought.  Now they no longer believe this.  2-3 servings a day is ok.  She recommends non processed food with soy.  I mentioned Luna bars and she said if I am having  a couple of a day , nothing to worry about.  One interesting topic she mentioned was, the asian communities that grow up eating a lot of soy have a smaller % of breast cancer cases.  So it may seem starting out life eating soy is beneficial but after dx it does not have any benefit.  Well expect providing the needed protein.

I asked about eating spinach, lettuce,berries etc.  Years ago chemo patients where asked to avoid such produce concerned these would not be "clean" enough.  I was told as long as these are washed these are fine.  She said cleaning with water is just fine and told me the veggie cleaning solutions are a gimick.

I also inquired about cooking red meat as if I have a steak I typically go to the more rare side.  During treatment she asked that I have these cooked to were there is no red to the meat because of the low white blood count.

She does not want  me to loose any weight at this time because if you start loosing weight while your body is fightng so hard against the chemo you start to loose mucle not fat.  And I have about 20-25 lbs to loose which she will discuss with me after treatement when we talk about how to live best as a cancer survivor!!!  I asked if that was the time we would discuss the contravesy about drinking alcohol.  She laughed.  I love my red wind.  Haven't had any since chemo started but sure am looking forward to one. 

She said drink liquids and have a lot of protein.  I found this webpage with some quick snacks of protein.  greatist.com/health/high-protein-snacks-portable

I was also told as soon as you feel nausea take the pill and eat a little something.  I did this and continued to eat a little something, peanuts/almonds, hard boil egg, applesauce, chicken breast, crackers and hummus, fruit, juice, celery and peanunt butter and I did not get nausea. I have a snack with me at all times.  I took my zofran every 10 hours (the moment I thought I was getting nausea) for 3 or  4 days.   I do not know if this was the key or if I just got lucky this first  round.   The nutritionist told me being hungry or too full can make you nauseu (along with the all chemicals going through our system).   

Peaceful day to all!