Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013

SC -- I'm thrilled with your good news! I know you will sleep better tonight than anytime in the past few weeks, even if your back is hurting a bit:-)

And speaking of your back, I wonder if your problem might be anything like what's been going on with my shoulders? My MO sent me to my PCP 3 weeks ago because I was having what both thought was a rotator cuff issue in my right shoulder, unrelated to BC -- loss of range of motion on only one side and hurting enough to keep me awake at night.

Long story short, both my shoulders are now about equally affected, but after 3 PT workouts are also both feeling much better. My PT says chemo can inflame muscles, and contract tendons and ligaments. So she thinks my original right shoulder issue was probably due to immobility and differences in my sleeping position after surgery, plus the chemo harming both joints and muscles more and more with each treatment. It makes me wonder if you could have some of the same things going on in your back!?

Regarding eyelashes and eyebrows - - I am 8 weeks pfc and have noticed my brows and eyelashes thinning out considerably while hair is growing back elsewhere.  I found the Anastasia brow kit from Ulta is really natural looking (its a powder) and was told by the Look Good Feel Beautiful people to line my eyes while my lashes are gone.  Doesn't look the same, but it helps.  

SC, glad your scan came back negative. After 3 tc, I've got crippling back pain, and transient leg cramps. Weirdest back stuff ever, it travels! It might spend an hour in my shoulders, then move to my middle back, then to my lower back. I go in tomorrow to see MO and 4th tx.  I've got muscle relaxant and norco, I'm going to need some stronger pain pills since the pain sometimes keeps me up through the night. Mine is exacerbated by movement: last week I tried the experiment of walking for 30 minute a day hoping it would make it better. Nope. This week I'm trying the opposite and it's better. It's so strange!

SC: Awesome news about the scan!  So happy for you that you can have some peace of mind.  I hope the pain eases and is soon gone for good.

Audra:  LOL about the underwear!  The good thing about the last infusion is when the side effects come, you know they are for the last time.

My exchange surgery is next Thursday, so I am looking forward to that...bye, bye boulders!

PatAlameda

Try doing a recombinant bike
it might be easier on the joints and such.

mfm48 Love the Look Good Feel Better program. I’m glad they
taught us how to pencil eyebrows on.

Melrose- I just hate the eyebrow thing, but
it is life. So thank you for being honest.

Bluegrassharp-What shoulder
exercises is your PT giving you? My left
shoulder has been bothering me lately.

charlotte14…-sorry to hear about
that issues. I will ask some of my friends. that is interesting to hear. I
won’t know yet, but I get that neulsta shot each time, so my blood work is
always high.

SchoolCouns…I hope they find your
pain. Awesome about the scans.

Nancyjeanne…I found taking Nexium at
night, then Prilosec or zantac in the morning and after/evening helped. I took
too many tums and my CA levels were off the charts, so I had to stop taking tums.

Warrior_Wom…I hope today wasn’t too
bad for you. Rest up and drink lots of
fluids.

TeamKim-Love the picture! I took your advice with my MO.

 FIRED MY ONCOLOGIST TODAY! I feel so liberated. I even told her way I am quitting her. That I
could have permanent damage since she didn’t believe I had an allergic reaction
to the first chemo! I told her she
doesn’t listen to her patience and that I felt like I could not trust to work
with her for the next 5-10 years. I
teared up, I never cried, but I think the stress of being with her was too much.  

I feel so
relieved. All the anxiety is gone. I
found out that a lot of her patients have left too, because of her lack of
interest. I should have done this after chemo2, but she
wasn’t there for the appointment.  I feel like as cancer patients we shouldn't have to worry about whether our doctors listen to us or take our concern seriously. I'm just upset that this might have cost me some throat issues, but lessons learn. I now just keep moving forward.  I'm also over the flu.   I
have ONE CHEMO LEFT JANUARY 22^nd!
Yipeee

Thank
you all for helping me.  

FairyDog - It's really hard to fire docs, but even harder to face them & tell them why.  And they do need to know.  Great job!!

momat927-

I keep re reading your post when you said chemo is like a haunted house....so true! My onc. made it seem like this would be a walk in the park for most ppl. I guess I thought I was like most ppl. Lol, come to find out I'm either not like most because this has been really hard or could it be my onc. was just trying NOT to scare the crap out of me?

I survived my first TC infusion yesterday.  I was told my bad days will be Thurs. & Fri. and I can "recover" Sat. and Sun.  Right now I am fine.  I am sitting here waiting for something to happen.  

NancyJeanne -  I would like to apply for membership to the "Most People" Club.  Where can I sign up?   

Warrier - - For me, days 4 and 5 were the worst. Mostly I felt tired and "yukky", though I didn't have nausea due to Zofran.  I often felt like I couldn't stand up for very long, but was okay if I was sitting down.  I never had to have neulasta because my white counts stayed high.  After a week of not feeling great, I got more energy and felt more like myself until the next round.  Except for the bad days, I walked most days, and surprisingly, the walking really helped improve my energy level when I was feeling tired.

I got eye twitches around the 3rd and 4th TC round and the lasted nearly two months after chemo ended.  

Good luck to you. It sounds like you started out in great shape, which should help you get through it.

Enjoy the good Warrior!  For me the worst days are 4 and 5.  Very tired before then but come day 4 the evil big d shows up and makes me miserable for about 36 hours.  My bone pain kicks in, too.  Day 6 is much better and then mostly it's fatigue and queasy stomach.   It's not fun but even the worst parts aren't as bad as I'd feared they would be.  Hugs to you!

Thanks Ladies for your support as always.

Thanks Blue, Pam and Audra. I will probably have to do PT, it is so hard to walk. I guess we never know what SE's we are going to get.

Good for you fairy! Our relationship with our MO is a long one and we need to feel good about it!

I noticed some fuzz growing on my head today, really exciting, never mind most of it is grey!!!!

My eyes, both, have been twitching since the 2nd chemo, sometimes it's o bad that I have to close both eyes until it stops.

Warrior, the next day after chemo for me was okay and then I crashed for almost 8 days and jut when i started feeling better, it was time for the next one. The last chemo I crashed for three days and then took a soak in the tub with Epson salts and it must have been the magnesium, but I felt so refreshed. I had also had a picc line so could not get in the tub.

Hope you are all doing well.

Okay, TC ladies, my MO and I need help understanding a new SE! About 3 days after my last TC infusion (#4 of 6), I started to feel breathless with mild exertion -- going up the stairs and walking at my normal pace. It has persisted, not getting much worse but not getting any better in weeks 2 and 3 like my muscle aches and shoulder pains. Anybody else had this kind of experience?

I figured it was my RBC and HGB continuing to slide down, and contacted my MO. Long story short, yesterday I had a CT scan and physical exam that ruled out pulmonary embolism and lung infection; blood work that showed my RBC (3.9) and HGB (11.7) was not worse than before I noticed symptoms; and a normal echocardiogram that ruled out heart function issues.

My MO (and me, too) was happy that all came back okay, but she's still puzzled about cause of symptoms, since breathlessness in her experience is not a chemo SE without some other underlying reason.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?

The 'frightened fool' made me literally laugh out loud!  LOVE IT!

And run for me..I haven't worked out since my mastectomy!  Actually since diagnosis as I was paranoid that moving my arms and pumping my blood/etc. would cause tumor to spread to lymph nodes...paranoid...

I usually work out 3x/week my whole life, was aerobic instructor and super tom boy growing up...so this couch potato thing is VERY odd...but I have read a lot of books...:)

So get a load of this.  The chemo Nurse Ratched wants me to attend a special exercise program for chemo patients.  I explained that I run half-marathons and lift weights and now I'm being sent to a remedial gym class.  My new goal in life is to prove her wrong.  

Audra - I had an occupational therapist after my TE placement and she helped me greatly with range of motion.  I may also get a physical therapist as I feel pulling on one side.  It is strange but I am actually running better with the TEs in place as if I have my own built in sports bra.  From everything I've been told, it really is best to try to get a little exercise everyday if we can.  Are you able to walk outside for a few minutes each day?  The fresh air and sun greatly improves my mood.  

FDM -- my PT gave me 6 GENTLE SHOULDER STRETCH exercises to do 2/day. They are helping me a lot to counteract the muscle/tendon/ligament contraction that the chemo seems to be causing:

1 Lying flat on your back, clasp hands on tummy, thumbs up. Raise arms straight up over your head and back as far as comfortable with thumbs pointing down toward floor over your head. Return hands up over head and back to tummy. Repeat 15 times per set, 2-3 sets per session, 2 sessions per day. (I can't possibly do this much -- I do a morning and evening session, and do only one set each time!)

2 Lying flat on your back, stretch one arm straight back beside your head with elbow near ear, as far back as comfortable. Hold for 30 sec -- the last 10 secs are the important part. Use your other hand to help raise and lower the arm as needed. Repeat with the other arm. Repeat 2-3 times per set, 1 set per session, 2 sessions per day. (Again, I do a morning and evening session and only 1 repetition each time.)

3 Lie on your side with small towel rolled to support your elbow (upper arm resting on top of your torso) and your forearm pointing forward parallel to the floor. (I wish I could show you the picture!) Lift your hand up toward the ceiling as far as it will go comfortably. Repeat with other arm. Repeat 15 times/set, 2 sets/session, 2 sessions/day. (I can do one one set per session.)

4 Standing up, put one hand on or near the opposite hip bone, arm straight across your body. Use your other hand at the elbow to gently pull down until a stretch is felt in the shoulder. My PT says it's like trying to put your hand in your opposite front pants pocket. Hold 30 secs -- again, last 10 secs is the important part. Repeat with other arm. Repeat 3-5 times/set (I do 1!), 1 set per session, 2 sessions per day.

5 This one is miserable for me! Standing up, clasp your hands behind your back at waist level or below. Push hands away from your back a bit and hold 30 secs. Pull hands up toward your shoulder blades and hold 30 secs. Pull hands across to one side and then the other side, each time holding 30 secs. I hate it! Repeat 2 times (no way for me) per set, 1 set per session, 2 sessions per day. 

6 Standing, squeeze your shoulder blades together and down toward the floor, like trying to put each shoulder blade in the opposite pants pocket. Repeat 15 times per set, 2 sets per session, 2 sessions per day. This is the only one I can do as directed!

I'll be interested to find out if these help you -- or anyone else -- too!