Cytoxan Taxotere Chemo Ladies- February/March 2013

Nancyjeanne- WHO are these people who sail through???????   Yep, I think MOs do try to be positive though mine said two things " Some people do fine through it " and then, " Chemo can kill you."  Okay......   Well, which statement do I believe?   I guess both.  

Ladies, i am gaining weight and not exercising!!!    I listen to you and think maybe I ought to move from my couch. You all may force me out of slug-land!!!

LGFB did give me this great powder eyebrow liner with a brush and that was probably most helpful. Learning to do brows 

Fairy, You Go!!!!!!   We must be our own best friend & advocate.  Love it 

Well ladies, the pre-chemo anxiety  has pulled up to my driveway.   I will take Ambien or Ativan tonight though pretty sure there is a Red Nuclear button in my brain just waiting to be pushed on to addiction mode.  Well, not exactly, but let's say I am watching carefully. 

Ok anyone else doing chemo tomorrow?  Here we go. Xoxo Amy

Momat927 - Yes, I will also be in the chair tomorrow for Taxol #6.

denise,  i will check in on you tomorrow. I dont go in till 1 though.   I wish you a manageable time. 

Warrior, confusing!!!  I too read and hear very confusing & conflicting information.  Not sure how to navigate but by instincts and talking to all of you. 

Xo Amy ( momat927)    

Wanted to give you all an update on the questions I asked my MO today when I saw him for post chemo follow-up.  He wrote me a prescription for Tamoxifen, which I am to start now and take through rads and beyond.  Obviously he thinks there is no need to wait until after rads.   He says that Tamoxifen SEs, if I have them, are completely different from rads SEs so there is no way that I could be confused about what is causing any SEs. He also believes that if I get any SEs from Tamoxifen, rads will not make them worse, or vice versa. If I am miserable on Tamoxifen, he said to come back in and he will switch me to something else.

He also plans to put me on Zometa (I have periosteoporosis) for bone strength, and he said that recent research has shown that Zometa also helps to prevent cancer recurrence. I was on Actonel before chemo, and that was a once per week pill. Zometa is a brief IV infusion, once every 6 months (I like not having to remember to take a once per week pill). It can have some jaw necrosis SEs, so I need to check with my dentist and get teeth cleaned before I start.

Finally, I asked about the neuropathy, which still (one month after last chemo) bothers my three middle toes on both feet. He said to give it another couple of weeks, and if it is not improving, call him and he will give me a shot of B-12. He said B-12 is the first line of attack to try to make the nerves more happy happy.

So, for what it's worth, that's the info from my questions today -- maybe it will help any of you with similar concerns.

Melrose, your post was reassuring about the breathlessness. Now that I've had all those tests ruling out the big evil causes, I think I just need to be less impatient with the situation. I will remember to ask about thyroid, though, since I think I've been borderline a few times and my mom has been on thyroid for half her 94 yrs!

hello ladies.  I have been keeping up to see how you are all doing but haven't had anything interesting to add.  I have started to have bad foot pain on the top of my foot that tylenol arthritis and advil don't touch. My arthritis all over is much worse and since my friend said she developed arthritis from chemo i am assuming my worsening pain is related even though i finished in november and pain is recent.  All other side effects have cleared. I still have bmx pain but hear that can last several months,

I can't imagine dealing with several treatments knowing that just one causes enduring se. I have great empathy for you women.

I joined an integrative health program to try to better my odds since i am not having treatment. I am learning about nutrition and meditation and all that stuff.  I think about you women still down in the mines working your butts off at treatment and am so impressed. Sending hugs and warm healing thoughts. Xoxo

Amy, it doesn't get any easier to get to that chair! Yesterday my mind felt calm, but yet I woke at 4 and moved soooo slow. My body and primitive brain stem were very busy saying no-o-o-0-0-0--0-0-0, Mr Bill!!

Denise & PatAlameda, just got home from Round 3.  How are you both doing?  Final Round early Feb.  Filled with Benadryl & steroids right now so not much in way of SE's but know surprises coming around day 3. Hope your treatments were smooth sailing. Did I miss anyone who had chemo today/ tomorrow?  If so, chalk it up to poor concentration these days but know wishing you the best. Hey, will we sleep tonight?????  Xo. Amy

My oncologist told me I wouldn't be having any scans.   I guess some place only do them when symptoms show up.

Audra - Congratulations!  You've made it past the finish line!  In the last five months I've been scanned, poked, probed, cut, poisoned and scanned some more.  It's hard to imagine it all coming to an abrupt end.  That will be fantastic!

Audra -- congrats on making it out of the rabbit hole, Alice!  Haha!  Doing the happy dance with you!!!!

--Kim

PS: I was also told no scans until my annual mammo is due this summer.  

WREN!  So good to hear from you!  I'm sorry to hear about the pain, that stinks.  Let us know how you like the new program and if it's helpful.  Darling photo

Audra - hooray for you!!!!

Moma - I go to the BGC tomorrow and will have blood work first. Very curious to see what turns up since I haven't had it done since my last session.

Pat, I hope you and all our other unwell ladies feel better starting today!

audra, Happy dance for you! I think my BS told me mammo on BC breast every 6 mos for first 2 yrs and then annual mammo on both...haven't spoken to MO about follow up yet. I'm sure it will be annually though. I'm not sure if they use your DX date or the start of TX as a follow up date though. I will be doing rads after chemo and think I will be done with them about my 6 mo; worried if they want to mammo a burnt boob! OUCH!!

quirkygirl, good luck in the BGC today! Hope you have easy SE's, if any!!

Going to see a movie with a friend later after my N shot. Looking forward to putting BC on the back burner for a few hours!

Have a good week-end, warriors! Fight on!

follow up treatment for lumpectomy vs. Double mastectomy is different,

With lumpectomy- I had yearly mammograms and in between yearly MRI's - so I was essentially scanned 2x per year.

With a double mastectomy, my oncologist told me, no breasts, no mammos.  I will also not have any MRI's to scan for breast cancer.  I WILL have MRIs every 2 years to check to see if the implants are leaking (ordered by the PS).

I am terrified of not having any scans as I now have had breast cancer twice, so I have a real fear of mets.  I just have to have faith in my oncologist.  I go back now from seeing her yearly to seeing her every 4 months.  I saw her yesterday for a pre-chemo visit and she did a physicial exam checking my foobs and my lymph nodes under my arms and along my collar bone.  She does this every time I see her.  They will test my blood for tumor markers as well, but my last cancer did not show up in the blood work.