August 2013 Chemo Sisters

Usually for me, it starts the evening of chemo. Day two is the worst ( think oompah loompah) and then subsides sometime on day three?

How are you today?

Tanya-wow your Tc reaction to number 3 sound just like me only mine started at the end of number 2. Do you think you had allergies? I think that is the case but they don't seem too concerned. I don't want more steroids so I haven't made too big a deal about it...but I am starting to wonder if I should.

Last night I thought I was having phantom tooth pains (as I haven't had those teeth for decades, an upper partial plate now); it happens a lot, but this morning, after a night with the plate out, I realize the problem is a sore under where the plate sits. I hate to complain at this late date, but how can anything so small hurt so much? It's a week from my fourth infusion; I'm hoping some Orajel or Ambesol will help. I'm doing the salt water and baking soda, I even tried a touch of Alum which will almost instantly heal any cold sore but it didn't do that here.

It's hard to concentrate on anything because of this searing pain and I feel stupid to feel so sidelined - if you knew my dental history you would be surprised this is bothering me so much. But does this chemo mouth sore hurt so damn much for everyone or is this something else?

Thanks Lovewins, I will definitely give that a try.

Edit to add: a wee bit later...I had some popcorn yesterday, and I'm starting to think it's got to be a hull up under the gum. It could be around not a tooth, but an implant post I have from an unsuccessful attempt, so attached to the bone. I've probed with floss and soft items like a soft tooth brush and such but I can't seem to find it, so I do a lot of the inside swooshing to hopefully dislodge it. I might be totally wrong, usually I can feel the edge of a popcorn hull and this time not. I'm mostly afraid it's an infection, not a good time for it.

The pain is so damn severe I can't even see straight. If my face would swell up I would know it's an abscess. I wish whatever is causing it would make itself known so I can know how to get rid of it. Right now my husband is out of the house and I've taken some pain stuff so I can't drive anywhere. I'm hoping maybe I can take a nap to escape with the help of some other meds.

I'm sorry for kvetching, but man, this sucker hurts.

Hi All,

I am gearing up for week 7 of twelve Taxol's. Although Taxol has been a lot easier, it presents its own problems. Although I have been icing my fingers and toes from the first infusion, it hasn't seemed to help. I have neuropothy in my toes and fingers, but soooo much easier than AC. When I first started the Taxol I had to take steroids before the infusion. Now I only take the steroids during infusion. Its is to ensure you don't have an allergic reaction. Even though going each week is not fun, the weeks do fly by. Then daily radiation but all done the week of Christmas. Looking forward to 2014! It is our year for things to turn around and start living again. The finish line is near.........hugs to all

FMG, I'm surprised she said you can eat sushi so soon. It would seem that next weekend would be when you would be hitting your nadir? (I'm a bit paranoid since I have only had two treatments so far and have already had two hospital stays with neutropenic fevers). But if she says okay, go for it! So glad you are done with your treatments!

Wishing all the rest of you all the best....I go for A/C #3 on Thursday. Switching MO's so we have an official meeting with the new one on Wednesday but the protocol will stay the same because the docs are all out of the same cancer center...this one is just a lot closer to home.

Martha

hey fmgd and Lisa thanks for sharing with us post last chemo...it's making me think "I can do this...in a week I will be there too."Last week I was having such a hard time thinking I have to do this yet one more time!

Today I went to the clinic for my weekly blood work. I have been having some chest pain so onco decided to do a chest scan. They needed to inject some die so they had to change my port line. I get up there and it turns out I have a wrong kind of port so they can't use that and they had to give me an IV. After staring at my one good arm forever, finally they tried to put the IV in w/o success. I waited about another half hr and they finally said they would do a different test that required a smaller IV needle. I could go home eat lunch and come back in about an hour and a half. When I got back once again they poked at my vein trying to get a smaller IV in...They insisted it was in even though it hurt and I knew it wasn't. When they got to the point where they tried to insert the die it didn't work. So they tried again to get an IV in and failed. She was going to try again when I kindly asked please let someone else try. Finally on the 4 time they got it. I felt like a pin cushion! I am now even more thankful I decide to get a port...a little bummed that they put the wrong kind of port in, but so glad I don't have to get an IV every time for chemo. It was a long day...got to the clinic at 8:15 left for about an hour lunch and was back getting poked and scaned until 4 pm. They whole time I kept thinking actual chemo is a breeze compared to this.

Rachel, thanks for letting us know about Julie, please give her family our love.

I remember one of her latest posts mention pneumonia.

R.I.P Julie! You have gotten your wings.

Rachel, thank you for letting us know about Julie/ Naan, it is so heartbreaking and I don't know about the rest of you but when I read that I felt as though I had been kicked in the stomach. It truly is a reminder to all of us just how fragile life is and how wicked cancer is, it is so important for us to stay healthy, stay positive and fight for our lives because we are!!!!! Please give her family our condolences and may she rest in peace.

Shary

Very sad to hear about Julie/Naan.

It turns out that I don't have a gnarly mouth sore but a dental abscess, which does not thrill me. I got back to the dentist this afternoon for possible relief and started taking some Amoxacillin from the dentist, but I'm unsure how it'll all go down, since I'm just a week past an infusion I know my body is not at it's strongest. I did call my MO's office to inform them of the work, haven't heard back yet and don't know if I will. I'm so distracted by the mouth pain (that's also giving me a huge headache and knots in my neck. At least my fear that I was overreacting to a little mouth sore has been asuaged.

I've been thinking about Naan all day!

Yes, life is fragile + each day is a gift. Let's make a decision to be our best + give & receive love daily!

LHL: So sorry to hear that things have been rough for you, especially since you plan to celebrate your anniversary soon. I hope your trip is great and that the consults with the docs turn out well.

Beeve: Wow that's scary about the abscess -- you should really bug your MO to get a callback; that is serious. Not to mention the pain you're in! My mouth is very sensitive now and I don't have anything that major. I can't imagine how bad it is, as just having things too salty sting and burn like they never did. Take care; feel better soon!

Thanks Rachel for letting us know about Naan so sad for her family and all of us who were touched by her. I have landed myself in the hospital with the rash I developed on Saturday after my last chemo. I was so excited getting my last chemo. The rash is actually an infection called cellulitis from my tissue expander on my right breast. They drained fluid from the breast and will do a test of the fluid. If it is treatable through antibiotics which it has been so far we are good. If not then infection will continue to come back and the expander will have to be removed and other issues come in to play. All this hard work to stretch the skin will be lost. I am hoping for the best!! My temp is down which is a plus since it was at 103 for four days. I had planned for November 5th to have my implants put in so I am hoping that it is just an infection and goes away and not in the tissue expander capsule. Please say a prayer!! Oh by the way I am ready to leave this hospital!!

I had half a root canal late yesterday (I didn't get out of the dentist's office til after 6) and am waiting for the dentist's office to call to schedule the second half. I'm scared this is one of those situations that will go south and make me really ill, if only because usually after the initial root canal there is relief and with this one, not yet. I try not to think about it but it's hard to ignore what feels like a bullet wound in my mouth.

I know a few of you have ended up in the hospital with what started as a routine small infection or wound. Would anyone be able to tell me what to look for? My MO's office told me to continue with the dental antibiotic. I know I've let the right folks know that things aren't right and I know I'll be taken care of if things do happen, but I'm still terrified of it all, which is unlike me. I guess the physical pain is making me more emotionally vulnerable as well. Now I feel like I'm whining. I really don't need any more complications in my life.