Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited January 2014

    Bondsy - a couple of thoughts. 

    Could be toenail lifting or a fungus.  I saw a podiatrist at that point & he did a culture.  No fungus.  MO said don't let him remove big toenails until after chemo since my blood levels were so low.  Podiatrist said to take Biotin.

    CIPN - chemo induced peripheral neuropathy - pain in the big toes.  If that's the only place I'd wait it out awhile.  I waited almost 5 months then saw a neurologist since I have pretty invasive toe/foot & finger/hand pain.

    Hand & Foot Syndrome - I'm just learning about this so no useful data yet.

    I'm sure others will chime in with things I've forgotten.  Try Easy Spirit TravelTImes.  Not pretty but they don't hurt my toes.

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  • VirginiaNJ
    VirginiaNJ Member Posts: 634
    edited January 2014

    Nancyjeanne - I used to live in Somerset County - right in Somerset on Easton Ave in the apartments behind K-mart!  My nephew is a senior at Rutgers :). My best friend lives in Griggstown on the canal and I have friends in nearby Franklin Park!!

    Made my appointment for my implant exchange surgery.  I was so anxious calling the office....  So weird.  My exchange is March 24th.

    Hope everyone has a great weekend with manageable SE's.  Our temps were in the single digits earlier this week, yesterday we had snow, and today we are expected to get up to 59F.  Crazy!

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  • audra67
    audra67 Member Posts: 521
    edited January 2014

    Virginianj-  my exchange surgery was a breeze -NOTHING like mastectomy...it is an hour or two and recovery was WAY better!  I felt good way sooner, and the new boobs feel way lighter and comfier than expanders for sure!!  SO YAY for March!

    That will be awesome-

    and we are done next soon -  yippppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Cannot even believe it!

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  • charlotte14
    charlotte14 Member Posts: 12
    edited January 2014

    I finished Cytoxan,Taxotere and Neupogen in April 2013.  Now I am anemic and my hemoglobin is only 6.9 and

    trying to avoid a blood transfusion. My Doc said this not a late development after chemo?  but I read Neupogen can cause Bone Marrow problems? So I have to have an endoscopy and colonoscopy to see if I have any intestinal bleeding. But I have no G I. symptoms. started hearing my pulse in my right ear in November and my oncologist said that is a symptom of anemia.   anyone else anemic months after finishing chemo?  Any input appreciated.

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  • bondsy
    bondsy Member Posts: 94
    edited January 2014

    Thank you, MinusTwo, for the information on CIPN. Sorry to hear yours is getting worse. I just emailed my MO and let her know about my issues, we'll see what she says. 

    Charlotte14, sorry to hear you are having so many issues this far out from chemo. I had no idea there could be so many problems post chemo. Let us know how it goes.

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2014

    charlotte14-  I posted this info Jan. 5, 2014 here about what foods you may try to add to your diet to help with your red blood cell count and anemia.  As per my onco's instructions, I have to eat whatever nutrients my body needs rather than taking a supplement and/or vitamin.  Apparently, one's body absorbs the necessary nutrients better through food than through supplements or vitamins.  You may want to look at what you are eating to see if you can add in some more iron enriched foods to your diet....

    Here are some links to articles about what to eat to help your red blood cells.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/349946-foods-to-eat-to-increase-red-blood-cells/

    http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/health-and-wellness/iron-rich-foods

    This link will get you to a Food Data chart .  Just click on "29. Iron" and you can read how much iron you need and how much certain foods have in them.

    http://apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server../info/books-phds/books/foodfacts/html/data/data-fs.html

    When my RBC started to drop during chemo, my onco told me to start eating foods to help get that RBC up a little.  I asked about taking iron supplements and I was told no and that eating the right foods was better absorption-wise.  For me, eating more iron enriched foods  ( ie cream of wheat, Total cereal, lean red meat) helped my RBC numbers. 

    Hope this info helps.....

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  • Warrior_Woman
    Warrior_Woman Member Posts: 1,274
    edited January 2014

    Nancyjeanne - I am next door in Hunterdon.

    My start date is close...Tuesday.  Fingers crossed that I don't have any severe reactions.

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  • Nancyjeanne1967
    Nancyjeanne1967 Member Posts: 56
    edited January 2014

    good luck warrior woman!!  We are just around the corner. Where are you going for chemo? I'm not feeling so great 4 days out. I have had the most painful indigestion I've ever experienced in my life. Couldn't sleep Friday night because of it. Has anyone else had this problem? I also came down with a terrible upper bronchial thing and feel like sh#t. Called my dr. And was put on antiobiotic but now having stomach issues, no picnic sisters!! Ugh!

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  • keepthefaith
    keepthefaith Member Posts: 2,156
    edited January 2014

    WW, good luck on Tuesday! The first TX was the scariest for me, but once I got through it, it really wasn't that bad. I hope yours goes well also.

    nancyjeanne, sry you are having indigestion issues...ginger is supposed to be good for indigestion;  you might try some ginger tea; Bigelows lemon ginger tea is good. Sometimes anti-biotics can reek havoc on your stomach, too. Get better soon!


     

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2014

    Nancyjeanne1967- Indigestion/heartburn is one of the side effects of this chemo regimen.  You may want to ask your onco about taking Prilosec, Zantac, Tums, etc to help prevent that the next chemo round you have.  I drank ice cold ginger ale and ate bland foods( baked chicken, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese)  for a few days after my chemo rounds.  One of my side effects was burping which I did often and not very quietly.  My onco gave me the go ahead to take Zantac before my chemo rounds but i opted not to take it since that indigestion/heartburn was never severe enough for me to want to take the Zantac.

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  • TeamKim
    TeamKim Member Posts: 568
    edited January 2014

    image

    Bondsy -- I have had toe pain too -- not big toes, but middle 3 toes on both feet.  Also have had skin peeling on my toes and balls of my feet.  Shoes are uncomfortable for me too -- struggling to find something I can wear through a whole day of work.

    Had to shave my legs this morning for the first time since October!  Hair on my head is a little more than a quarter inch.  Had my 59th birthday last weekend and took baldy twins photo with my 90 year old FIL -- he has more hair than I do!

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited January 2014

    TeamKim - thanks for sharing the fun picture.  Belated Happy Birthday.

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  • audra67
    audra67 Member Posts: 521
    edited January 2014

    TeamKim- That is too cute!  He probably LOVES having more hair than someone!!  Happy Birthday to you!

    Indigestion just got me after round 3 and severe stomach pain, nausea, burning after eating and in the night...I started using Prilosec and it helped - totally gone!  I also was still eating on the 2nd, 3rd week out when I could taste- some of my favorite hot sauces and jalepenos,etc...not a good idea...so I gave those up too...now it's better..and I'm taking psyllium husk fiber daily which I think helps too..

    Good luck Nancyjeann!

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2014

    TeamKim---- You are a cutie!!!!  Happy Belated Birthday!!!!  Good luck with the rads..... (I don't know if you checked out the Miaderm radiation cream.... it was recommended to me by several gals who used it and also by a radiation nurse.)

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  • Warrior_Woman
    Warrior_Woman Member Posts: 1,274
    edited January 2014

    TeamKim - I love that pic!

    NancyJeanne - I had my surgery at Penn but I'm staying local for chemo - Hunterdon Medical.  There is no need to commute.  I like my MO a lot and frankly, he's rather good looking.    I stocked up on otc indigestion meds.  Pepcid and something like malox.  

    Keepthefaith - I absolutely expect the first time will be the worst.  I simply don't know what to expect.  They better be able to work with my veins and I hope not to have any type of allergic reaction.  I simply want to be an everyday ordinary cancer patient who comes and goes without any excitement.  

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  • bondsy
    bondsy Member Posts: 94
    edited January 2014

    About indigestion - I used famoditine (generic for Pepcid) which is a lower dosage than Pepcid AC and cheaper. It worked very well, and was approved by my oncologist.

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  • Nancyjeanne1967
    Nancyjeanne1967 Member Posts: 56
    edited January 2014

    Thanks everyone for the info on my indigestion. I'll talk to my onc. tomorrow the only thing that's been helping so far is drinking a tablespoon of white vinegar. Gross but it works if you can stand the taste. I'm now fighting a fever. It was 100 tonight and was told to call if it gets to 100.4. I also have a sore throat, ear ache and cough. I guess I'm getting some kind of infection. UGH!! The BMX was a breeze compared to this. 

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2014

    Nancyjeanne1967- You may want to call your onco today and get checked out.  If you are getting a cold/flu/infection, you are heading into the nadir period ( lowest point of your white blood cell count).  Don't hestitate to contact your onco because you may need some antibotics to help fight that infection since your white blood cell count is on the decline from the chemo.  I know that normally you probably don't call the doctor just because you are getting a cold/flu but this time is different because of the chemo.  Keep us posted....... hope you feel better soon......

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  • Nancyjeanne1967
    Nancyjeanne1967 Member Posts: 56
    edited January 2014

    talked to my oncologist today she is calling in an antibiotic thank God!!  She said she wants me better befor my WBC's hit the low, just like you said Melrosemelrose.  She said normally we would let it run it's course but because of the chemo etc. she wants me to start ASAP.  Unfortunately I'm allergic to all the penicillin"s and azithromax so she has to find something else. This too shall pass!

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2014

    Nancyjeanne- Glad you called your onco this morning!!!  Hope your doctor finds an antibotic that you can take.  I have the same problem you do with being allergic to penicillin and other antibotics.    Fortunately, I can take Keflex antibotic which is the antibotic I tell my doctors that I can take.  Hope you feel better soon!!!  Drink plenty of liquids, hot lemonade and honey for your sore throat and rest......

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  • SchoolCounselor
    SchoolCounselor Member Posts: 452
    edited January 2014

    Team you look great!

    I got my PET scan results today....drum roll please...no evidence of metastatic disease! Thank God!

    So now to figure out why I am having difficulty walking, thank you ladies for your support!

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  • QuirkyGirl
    QuirkyGirl Member Posts: 383
    edited January 2014

    Whoop!  Whoop! Whoop!  Hooray SC!!!!!  SO very happy for you!!!!!!!

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  • audra67
    audra67 Member Posts: 521
    edited January 2014

    yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I knew you were fine SC!!!!!!!!!!!

    Im sure it makes you feel WAY better!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited January 2014

    Just noticed that all my eyelashes are gone - - two months after I finished chemo!!!! Wierd!

    I only have half of my eyebrows, too, but the hair on my head and chin is growing like crazy!!!!! 

    Eye twitching is gone, too! Thank goodness!  By why some hair is still falling out while other hair is coming in is beyond me!

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2014

    Yippee SchoolCounselor!!!!  So happy for you!!!! 

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  • Melrosemelrose
    Melrosemelrose Member Posts: 3,018
    edited January 2014

    Runningfromcancer- Your eyebrows and eyelashes are on a different growth cycle than your head hair.  During the first year that one is post chemo, it is possible to have your eyebrows and eyelashes fall out and grow back several times.

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  • Warrior_Woman
    Warrior_Woman Member Posts: 1,274
    edited January 2014

    ****SchoolCounselor***!

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited January 2014

    School - GREAT news.  Congrats.  Good luck tracing the problem w/walking.

    Melrose - Your comment about eyelashes & brows is the most depressing thing I've heard.  I'd just posted on the hair thread last night when I lost the lashes on one eye yesterday.  I'd used Latisse since last April and kept lashes & brows all the way through 6 Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin & Perjeta (which ended the first of August)- as well as a couple of separate H&P infusions.  ALND surgery found a large & positive node so they started me on Adriamycin/Cytoxan in November.  I stopped Latisse during December because my eyes always felt so gritty & crusty, figuring it must be reacting some way w/the AC.  Started again in January, but I guess I made a bad error in stopping.  I've been able to deal w/no hair on my head but not sure how I'll manage w/no eyelashes.  Luckily the brows are still there but now who knows.

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  • keepthefaith
    keepthefaith Member Posts: 2,156
    edited January 2014
    SC, Happy Dance for you!! I know that made your day. I hope you can figure out what the problem is.

    yes, that is depressing about the prospect of losing my lashes. I can deal with the brows; I have bangs on my wig that can disquise that well enough.
    there is one good thing-my one gray chin hair that I have to pluck out every month is gone!:)
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  • TeamKim
    TeamKim Member Posts: 568
    edited January 2014

    SC -- Doing the dance of joy with you, woooooo whooooo!!!!!!!!

    Melrose -- the cycling of the eyelashes and eyebrows I had heard, and yes, Minus2, it is depressing.  I and see that my lashes are thinner and eyebrows too, but hoping that I don't ever lose all of them at once....  I would feel like an alien!  Meanwhile, the peach fuzz on my head is growing and growing (maybe the Biotin and Nioxin are helping).  Just in case, I have been putting the Nioxin on my eyebrows too.....  I just want so much to look sort of normal by summertime.  

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