Starting Chemo in December 2013

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  • RobinLK
    RobinLK Member Posts: 840
    edited February 2014

    yes, rads with Herceptin but after taxol is finished. Will also start taking tamoxifen when taxol is done. Throwing everything at it....

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  • Mikesgirl17
    Mikesgirl17 Member Posts: 260
    edited February 2014

    Kj- I took a hydrocodone and a nap today and I feel a little better now.  Someone asked about eye lashes and eye brows.  My eye brows are almost gone and I have about half of my eye lashes left.  Taxol is suppose to take the rest.  We'll see.

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  • kimie06
    kimie06 Member Posts: 215
    edited February 2014

    whew....legs are showing some signs of soreness......crap

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  • DJJ
    DJJ Member Posts: 229
    edited February 2014

    I go for round 2 of Taxol tomorrow and even though this has been an easy week I DON'T WANT TO GO either!  I'm with you OneTexasDay and Robinlk.  I also have to do Herceptin for a year and six weeks of rads.   AARRRGGGGHHHH!!!! Devil

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  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 563
    edited February 2014

    I know just what you mean. It was one thing to get through 4 treatments but now to think of 12 treatments more is overwhelming. The the RT on top of that. 

    Keep waiting to wake up from this nightmare! 

    Good news was that my WBC was 1.2 today but the ANC was 600, anything over 500 is good.. Hg was down another gram to 10 though. Not a lot of room for that pt drop further on the taxol. 

    Barbara

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  • Mikesgirl17
    Mikesgirl17 Member Posts: 260
    edited February 2014

    Morning ladies.  How is everyone feeling?  I woke up with a head ache, but feeling more like myself.  The coffee has all but taken care of the head ache.  My legs are tired and sore, but manageable.  Prayers and positive thoughts being sent to all of you :)

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  • chicopeach57
    chicopeach57 Member Posts: 166
    edited February 2014

    it is going to be a beautiful weekend here in Georgia! Fingers are crossed that I will be able to enjoy it.  Fever broke in the middle of the night, s o I feel better all ready.

    Hope all of you ladies have an awesome weekend. 

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  • count_it_all_joy
    count_it_all_joy Member Posts: 130
    edited February 2014

    Reading this morning, and you've got my heart, ladies!  A lot of us struggling this week.  Trusting that there is always hope for some good days to come - soon, even!  May the hours pass more quickly than they are prone to do.  

    While I'm pretty much hanging out on the couch all day and tired of having people ask me how I am, anyone know more about wigs??  

    I have a wig I like, that I bought at a store in the mall, but it is HOT and warmer days are coming to AZ really soon.  Has anyone found a website you like with great halo wigs?  Thinking a baseball cap will probably be my way to survive this summer.  

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  • RobinLK
    RobinLK Member Posts: 840
    edited February 2014

    I have been doing the bald on warmer days. Will need sunscreen though. May go with occasional BBall cap, to block some of the AZ sun

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  • lorreymom
    lorreymom Member Posts: 149
    edited February 2014

    No Taxol for me today.  My liver tests have improved, but not enough to get chemo yet.  Gawd, I just want to start & get it over with.  But, sigh, I know doc is right...my liver has to be healthy to handle the Taxol.   A bit envious of those that have several doses done....fight on!! 

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  • count_it_all_joy
    count_it_all_joy Member Posts: 130
    edited February 2014

    Robin, where are you in AZ??  We have lived in Mesa for the last 9 years.  What a wonderful place it is to raise kids.  I'm thinking about starting to sit outside bare for a few minutes at a time - with sunscreen.  My head could light the way on a dark night!!

    lorreymom - I'm with you.  I had to delay my last treatment, and it was tough to know I wasn't moving forward.  Now I look at how my body is struggling after treatment, and I think it would likely have been worse if I hadn't had the break.  Protect that liver!!  We don't think about that ugly little thing working away in there, but you will have need of it for many years to come.   :)

    mikesgirl & chicopeach - yay, glad that today is better than yesterday.  EVERYTHING is harder with a headache or fever, isn't it??  hope tomorrow is even better.   

    kimie & kim - how are you feeling today??

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  • kjfromca
    kjfromca Member Posts: 283
    edited February 2014

    Lorreymom - How soon will they test you again?  Better to be strong for your next douse.  It is so frustrating not being able to control how are bodies are dealing with this necessary poison.  

    Count it all joy - I found halo wigs at a wig store.  I ordered a couple very short ones online, but the quality isn't as good as the ones in the wig store.  I am a week out from my 1st taxol and feeling pretty good, other than my energy is zapped by about 6 p.m.  The swelling in my arm is going down, and was thinking of you ladies when I was in my ultrasound the other day.  I am just sending my prayers up for safety for all of us from blood clots.... and the list goes on.

    Kim

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  • charusa
    charusa Member Posts: 107
    edited February 2014

    Hi Ladies,

    So glad to see for the most part everyone is doing well and managing SE's. I go next Thursday for my 4th and final round of AC which makes me feel much relief. The SE's from round 3 were a little harsher and lasted longer but I was able to manage. Now my thoughts and my fears are turning over to the taxol. I can't even tell you how often I am suppose to get it or how many since I was so confused about the AC but I thought she said I would be in Chemo for 24 weeks. I am the one with the panic/anxiety disorder and I have read way too much negative things about the taxol and allergic reactions. I am petrified of taking any new meds...my nightstand is full of filled but unopen scripts I was afraid to take mainly for cholesterol. As a kid I did not just get poison ivy but I was so highly allergic to it I blew up and looked liked a monster and when the vaccine came out I got poison ivy at the injection site! I think my scare with the albuterol is what put my fears over the top...went to MD for a breathing test and almost stroked out in the office with my B/P soaring...now I am reading about how highly allergic taxol is and I am scared to death....really scared to the point I don't want it. I wonder if you can't do the taxol if there is something else you can do that would be just as effective but not so allergenic....A full blown panic attack is almost as equivalent to alpaletic (sp?) shock...I get so I can't breath, my heart races, I sweat...kind of mimics a heart attack and the feeling of not being able to breath is terrifying!!!! I am already on xanax so I don't get any lorazepam and I can not take benedryl or any other over the counter antihistamine due to they make my heart race. So I don't get none of that with the AC nor take claritin with the shot.....I wish they could just knock me out and wake me up when all of this is over!!!!

    Charlotte

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  • Amazonwarrior
    Amazonwarrior Member Posts: 485
    edited February 2014

    Warning: rant ahead!

    I am tired of winter. I am tired of not having hair and a boob. I am tired of my dry, itchy, cracking skin and prematurely aging face. I am tired of a drippy nose and burning, watery eyes. I am tired of having sore gums, mouth sores and taste buds with mind of their own. I am tired of constant digestive problems: nausea, constipation or diarrhea, which one is next? I am tired of always popping pills for various SE. I am tired of my sore picc line and having to wear a sleeve every time I'm taking a bath. I am tired of my itchy, hot wig. I am tired of not having the energy to play with my son. I am tired of always being stuck at home. I am tired of waking up 3-4 times a night to change my soaking wet clothes and go to the bathroom. I am tired of fishing lashes out of my eyes. I am tired of being anxious about the future. I am tired of looking like a cancer patient. I am tired of being constantly tired. I am TIRED!!!

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  • RobinLK
    RobinLK Member Posts: 840
    edited February 2014

    To all struggling... it appears we have all hit a wall at about the same time. Please rant away as we all understand where you are coming from. It is a bitch...we have to be bigger ones...and we will!

    To those with SE's and medical complications....I am so sorry to hear of all you are going through. I am horrible at naming everyone individually and I apologize for that. I really don't have the energy to keep scrolling up/back to make sure I get the names right. I hope the doctors are able to help get you back into fighting form quickly. Delays suck, but it really is best to be at your healthiest possible when going in for further treatments.

    I am in Surprise, AZ...diagonally across the valley from Mesa. We have been here for 4 years and have loved every minute of it. So happy to escape New England. While it is beautiful, I despise the cold and snow. It is too gloomy most days and while the trees are gorgeous in fall, they always made me feel claustrophobic. I love being able to see downtown Phoenix from 25 miles away :) And the mountains......ahhhhhhh 

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

    Hi ladies! Just got back from Tuscon. A wonderful break! Whoever asked about the halo wig: I think it's a company called Hats with hair that will do them from your own hair. It is kind of pricey. I "made" my own before I lost my hair, but haven't used it at all yet. I simply taped the bangs between two pieces of tape and then glued the tape (with the hair in-between) to a head band. Kind of improvised, but it is my hair.

    I am not at all looking forward to number 4 on Tuesday, since #3 was kind of rough, but it will be over soon. Amazonwarrier, I am with you on being tired of it all. It is exhausting, emotionally and physically.

    Hang in there,  ladies! We can do this~

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  • chicopeach57
    chicopeach57 Member Posts: 166
    edited February 2014

    I wish ther was a like button, I'd be hitting it on all the rants.

    Got taxol today, hemotcrit was at 8. Not that great but I feel so much better after starting the antibiotics. So far so good, hoping it stays that way. I'm headed to my Boo's house in the country, no internet and I haven' t got a data plan on this tablet yet, so will touch base on Sunday night. 

    Good luck Ladies.

    Patti

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  • DJJ
    DJJ Member Posts: 229
    edited February 2014

    Ladies, sorry to hear everyone has the blues.  Met too.  I'm waiting for a second wind, or something to happen that makes me stand up with my fists in the air.  Like they were when I started chemo.  The last two days I was so tired I could barely make it through the day.  I just want to curl up in a ball and cry I'm so tired.  Taxol is easier to handle than AC but the fatigue is unreal.  I had round 2 of 12 today and it went smoothly.  Ten more sounds like a whole lot.  Two hours after I got home the diarrhea started...sigh. 

    Lorreymom, hang in there, its good to have a strong body when we are going through this.  We need our livers to work properly so it can handle all the wine we'll be drinking in celebration when this is over!!!!

    Charusa, They monitor you closely on Taxol.  You get steroids and Benadryl and Pepcid to counteract any reaction.  If you start getting a reaction they stop then restart with a slower drip.  A onco pharmacist that has been doing this 20 years says in her time doing this she has only seen two reactions.  Just remember that they know what they are doing and will make sure your taken care of. 

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  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 563
    edited February 2014

    Pattie, have a quiet weekend

    Looking forward to lots of good experience with the first taxol Rxs.  Need to. Psych myself up for next week. 

    Last week I had a day when I was feeling crapy and everyone who called asking how I was I  said I was fine.  Too hard to explain that some days are just so exhausting and crapy.   I am so glad my children are older. I do not know how I would ever have the energy to take care of youngsters.  I admire those with young children that you continue to do activities with them. 

    Barbara

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  • Jodi040812
    Jodi040812 Member Posts: 383
    edited February 2014

    I did taxol #8 today.  I am officially half way through my chemo total treatments.  4 more Taxol and then four more FAC.  Not super excited about it, but it is what it is.  I think the reason we are all ho hum is because:

    1. Really?  I have this much more to go

    2. Living under a gray cloud literally!  This winter has been harse!!

    Hang in there ladies!  We will get through it!

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  • Carol99
    Carol99 Member Posts: 116
    edited February 2014

    rant away Amazonwarrior, I feel the same,especially my aging skin!!  I feel,like I've added5 years to my face with this!

    Last AC on Monday:)

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  • kimie06
    kimie06 Member Posts: 215
    edited February 2014

    I hear you all loud and clear on the rants,  I am feeling the same way, the bone pain seems to have subsided today, thank goodness, it lasted a couple of days, oncologist called me in a script of Tylenol with codeine and that took the edge off.  3 more Taxol to go, my god.... I feel like its never going to end but at the end of the day I know it has to.  eyebrows and lashes are going through a serious thinning stage, they may go with this, which kind of sucks, but again small price to pay.  I have a gorgeous Raquel welch wig that I ordered on line, but I still find myself wearing hats and scarves more, I did wear my wig to the benefit they had for my and my family which raised a whopping 15000 dollars, which couldn't have come at a better time seeing as how I am self employed and work from home and haven't been able to do clients.  my wig looks so real its nuts, I will have to post a pic.  somehow.... thank you ladies for all your posts ..heres to a good week ahead and minimal SE's. 

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  • jackieak
    jackieak Member Posts: 169
    edited February 2014

    hi ladies...you are my morning read now, I remember before 10/11/13 my mornings were coffee and online news....oh the good old days...although I look forward to seeing all the posts and hoping everyone is as well as can be through all of this.

    Having fun in vegas with my family, I'm the early riser, not by choice but if I get 6 hours I'm doing great.  Anyone else wake up and just hope this was all a nightmare?  I'm with all the rantings, hate these rocks on my chest, hate wearing the wigs, hate having to be so cautious with what I touch and what I can eat and hearing a sneeze or cough puts me in panic mode while traveling...I've become a germaphobia person, my purse full of Clorox wipes and hand gel.  Can't even hug my own kid because he had a cough.  

    Taxol a week away and all I do is worry about it and dread feeling like crap for many more months.  I am enjoying myself and actually won a nice little jackpot yesterday, YEH.  Maybe some shopping today and I'm going to endulge myself with a great dinner and glass of wine.  Toast to all of us for battling this and coming out winners.

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  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 563
    edited February 2014

    Jackieak-  just what I said yesterday re: waking up form this nightmare. I do not feel it as much now as the first few weeks after diagnosis. Guess the lexapro must be working.  Go good you could get away for some sunshine and warmer temps in Las Vegas, at least I hope it is warmer then Alaska right now.   Will be thinking of you on Thurs as we get our first Taxol.  I will be a few hours earlier then you being in the East.  

    Barbara

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  • RHGSR
    RHGSR Member Posts: 774
    edited February 2014

    it's good to read I'm not the only one hitting a wall ( although I wouldn't wish this on anyone).  Had AC 3 on Thursday and Neulasta yesterday. Got home from Neulasta at 2pm yesterday and slept (with help of a sleeping aid midway through) until 9am this morning. Usually I have trouble sleeping so I'm not complaining  on that part.  But I'm just so down today. Real weepy. Only one more red devil to go but then I start thinking about the 12 weeks of Taxol and 5-6 weeks of rads and it just gets the better of me. I feel so bad. Can't even really pinpoint anything specific. I'm just mad at the world. Ugh. I hate this. 

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  • lorreymom
    lorreymom Member Posts: 149
    edited February 2014

    Just found out a co-worker, and friend, was just diagnosed with BC.  So sad!  She doesn't know what stage yet.  Sigh!!...at least I can help guide her through this cursed process.  :(

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  • DJJ
    DJJ Member Posts: 229
    edited February 2014

    I love my new T-shirt!

    image

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  • Crazywabbit
    Crazywabbit Member Posts: 563
    edited February 2014

    that shirt ROCKS. Where did you ever find it 

    Barbara

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  • Jennifersmom
    Jennifersmom Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2014

    My mom had first round of taxol on Wednesday that took over 6hours then we found out she would have to go in on Thursday Friday and Monday for granix injection. Today is not so good so much pain but not sure if its from the taxol or granix  called on call dr to see if they could call in something for pain. He gave me hard time but after insisting the er was not an option he gave in and gave her script for ultram which is not doing much. Not sleeping well nausea comes and goes but think pain is worse than the other SE. If anyone has input on what we can do to make this more comfortable would be so very grateful trying to keep faith and don't want her to give up on this fight.

    Prayers to all be strong you will get through this


    Jennifersmom

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  • Jennifersmom
    Jennifersmom Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2014

    I went on saint Jude web site and found the wig rings ordered for my mom she doesn't need to use yet since she hasn't started loosing her hair yet first treatment was on Wednesday. I did take out and put on her with a wool hat found on the site and it looked awesome. I was looking at wigs which are very high in cost but haven't found one that we are crazy about and have met so many people that say they are uncomfortable and hot so for $35 we got the ring and if down the road she feels she wants a wig we will look into it and I will do whatever it takes to get for her but I think she will be happier with the ring instead we have scarves and different hats looks great with everything. Best of luck to you. If you cannot find the site let me know and I will get the paperwork out to see if can find a link or phone number for you 

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