October 2013 Chemotherapy

Question for anyone who has done Taxol, did you get bone pain? I am not doing Neupogen or Neulasta. I have finished #4 Taxol and #5 is due on Friday. I am having rib pain and some pain in my knee, could it be SEs from the Taxol? I'm still working but am so tired. I didn't go out last night, weather was terrible, cold and rainy. Hubby went to a party for a little while but I stayed up until he got home to wish him Happy New Year! The kids came by earlier to visit and shoot some fireworks, but I was happy just to sit at home by myself. Good luck to everyone in 2014!!

hi ladies!! Just saying happy new year to all!  I have much to catch up on:).   Started my tamoxifen on Sunday and so far so good.  My eyebrows started falling out a few weeks ago.  I still have a few but not many.  I joined a gym to get this weight off since I started this.

Just wanted to cheer everyone on and thinking about all and wishing for no side effects!

YAY!!! I just founf this thread and I am in the middle of my Chemo treatment which started October 24th with A/C  just had the first of my Taxol/ Herceptin. Fell achey but WAY better than the SE from Adriamycin! Congrats on being able to go back to normal! (((hugs)))

Goosie

 I started my A&C Sept 24....just did #7 Taxol (with Herceptin) so we're kind of on the same treatment path?

You are almost there Pam! I had my last chemo today, Picc line removed! Yippee. MO ordered a full body Pet scan and referred me to a Physiatrist. I'm looking forward to the appointments.

Due to the snowstorm. They sent me home with the neulasta shot, my mom, an RN will give it to me tomorrow. Fun!

Just trying to get all the fluids down. It is getting so hard to do that. I've been suckig on ice pops.

Completed #5 of 6 today and had another bag of 4 grams of magnesium. This is my second time having to get magnesium during chemo.  I am also on 400 mg magnesium 3x a day and potassium 2x a day. 

I hope that with getting the magnesium with chemo that next week will not be as bad as the last 2 treatments. 

I am so looking forward to being done with chemo.  Then I have a 8 week break before radiation starts. 

Welcome Goosie - there is so much great information here. 

SchoolCounselor - Congrats on finishing chemo!  When I have a hard time with water I have been adding cranberry juice.  For some reason my taste buds like the tart taste.  

Here's wishing you all a great 2014!

I have a question? I had #2 Taxol on Dec 30th. The next day I felt good... so I did some errands, and cleaned out some cabinets, reorganized etc. I have a history of tachycardia (since I was a kid) but nothing too crazy. When it happened in the past, I would just lay flat and it would stop within 15-30 seconds. Well, the other day it happened to me, and it didn't stop at all. I got freaked out after half hour therefore I went to emergency room. My heart rate was 220!! They had to inject Adenosine to get my rate to drop. Lets just say that scared the hell out of me!! I spoke with my ONC and she said to omit the steroids. They think that is what caused the heart rate to go crazy like that... what do you guys think? any thoughts?

my MO recommended sudoku, luminosity. He said reading is too passive for the brain. Word puzzles, word with friends. Which I have been diligently playing. My doctor is very up on research and knows chemo brain is real. 

This might be helpful:

http://blog.armyofwomen.org/2012/07/research-webinar-cognitive-and-emotional-effects-of-breast-cancer-study/

Paloverde, I am done with chemo, but I had some issues remembering words when I was talking, especially in the first two rounds of chemo. 

Malakies. I also had issues with tachycardia, every week during DD AC I complained about it and ended up in the emergency room once.  The only thing my MO asked was if it I had shortness of breath and I didn't so she didn't seem concerned.  My primary put me on a 30 day heart event recorder and I only had one event two weeks ago.  I was supposed to have an appointment with primary today to go over the results, but got canceled because of snow.  My MO did cut my steroids way back during my last two treatments, I've done 5 out of 12 taxol this week, with no heart issues, the last two weeks. There are at least two other ladies who complained about heart palpitations, so I took comfort in it being a SE, that would pass.  Stairs were the cause of several heart palpitations, but twice I was just sitting playing piano.  I couldn't be sure that it wasn't the neulesta shot that was causing the palpitations or the steroids, but the palpitations seem to have passed. I,m no longer getting neulesta shots while doing taxol.

I thought my chemo brain was improving but yesterday I intended to call my onc to get a requisition for the lab for Vit. D levels to be drawn (which is free if oncologist requests it) and I actually called and left a long message asking for a prescription for a shingles vaccine. I actually looked up the name, address and phone number of the pharmacy to leave in the message.. I had a hard time explaining my mistake to the receptionist because I was still confused when she called me back. 

Thanks MsJean and Pam for the input. It's been 4 days since the episode and my heart rate is pretty fast while doing nothing.! I am so tired of being tired. I understand everything will be over with in no time, but honestly, today, I just want to scream! I've been crying pretty much all day. I hate feeling like a 100 yr old lady.  I had my best friend and roommate tell me today (and I know she means well and doesn't have a mean bone in her body) " You are letting cancer consume you"  Ummm helloooo I can't help it!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not like my life is what it used to be!! I can't do half the stuff I did before this! I feel tired all the time... and the one time recently I felt great... I was taken to the ER with 220 heartbeats per min.

I used to laugh and joke around a lot... that's not happening as often. I worked at my restaurant 6 days a week 9-10 hrs a day (and loved it!!) I was active... I had fun...consume me? Yeah... it's hard to shake it off... when your body tells you can't do any of that cause you are tired and feel like and old lady!!

And to think, before all this, I actually bragged on how healthy I was for a 49 yr old. I would run circles around all the 20 something year olds at work. Now?  I can barely stay on the elliptical for 5 minutes.!

This sucks!! and I am over it! Sorry I had to rant...