Starting Chemo in December 2013

Taxol 3/12 today Then will be 1/4 of the way through Taxol after today.

  I remarked last week to the MO's nurse that I was getting a little tingling in my rt toes and she said," Oh its too early for that"  Well it is continuing, feels like the base of the middle toes are  tingling feeling.  No numbness to touch, the area just feels funny. Similar to when I had neuropathy from a herniated disc in the other foot.   I am taking the B6 and L GLutamine so I hope it does not get worse. 

Stubble feels slightly more on my head, when I slip on a knit cap it snags a bit rather then going on smoothly. Friend whose daughter is a hair dresser gave me some Nioxin shampoo and scalp treatment, She swears it helps your hair grow back quicker. Supposed to clear the follicles of debris to allow the new growth better. Not sure if it really does anything but it smells good.  

best to my sisters getting chemo today and tomorrow, Each week is one more closer to the end. 

Barbara

not sure if there is a pattern to my chemo blues or not. It seems to hit me in waves. I really felt pretty good after this last AC then on day 4 SE hit me pretty hard. I've been really down the last few days. Just so tired of feeling bad. Stomach stuff is the worst - bloating , diarrhea. So tired of everything tasting like soap. I feel like I have been pretty positive through all of this. We are fighting cancer and our insurance ( who is saying that the clogged milk duct I went to see my doctor about that turned out to be cancer) was a pre existing condition. I'm so worried about all the stress this is putting on my husband. He can't sleep at night. Then this week his truck broke down and our hot water heater went out. UGH!!  I know things could be so much worse and we are blessed in so many ways. But I wish we could catch a break. 

jodi, so glad that you are getting a free ride to Texas! I guess you are wearing a sleeve on your trip...?

I think my blues have come in waves also. I think the steroids play a part and then, of course, our situation.

Thankfully, I haven't had too much grief from my insurance co about claims...Aetna. BUT, they will be cancelling my current policy as of Sept 1st...I guess I need to call them and find out why. Maybe the new health care law.  I am self-employed and have a high deductible as it is. I'm sure the premiums will be out of my reach, after my DX. Like we don't have enough stress...

Holli, Leealice, I thought the insurance co's could not use the "pre-existing conditions" anymore...? They can be such a pain!!! I hope you can get things worked out! Maybe you can get your financial counselor at the Cancer Center to guide you, if you need help.

Hang in there ladies!

DJJ 

Are you taking any supplements, today  my MO suggested adding B12. To my B6 and glutamine. he thinks it is odd that I only have it in one foot and it may be related to the fact I had bunion surgery on that foot in July? he thinks the nerves may be more sensitive from that. For now it is just a numb feeling not really pins and needles.  I will be watching closely for any changes. 

All in all taxol #3 went well.  My port flushed OK but did not want to allow blood to be withdrawn.  The nurse had me position my arms and heads in various way and finally I lay down in a treatment chair and they could get blood flow. Worked fine after that. My CBC is staying in the normal range so far so no blood work next week.  Came home and took a 2.5 hour nap. I will try some ambien tonight to sleep.  The decadron makes me wake up every hour. hope every one did well today 

Barbara

Leealice & RHGSR & Kim - really sorry about your insurance fighting you.  seriously, that is the last thing that needs to be on your mind.  I know my husband was feeling stress after my 2nd time in the hospital (5 days each).  We still haven't gotten any bills at all from those 2 stays, so can only assume the hospital and insurance company are going back and forth.  Waiting to see where they land…

Jodi - I live in Phnx, so everything is close, but I thought the Pilots for Patients idea was so cool, I looked up their website.  I'm really happy for you.  Even tho it can't take take away the SE's, I'm sure you'll feel stronger both physically and emotionally to not have all those hours in the car.  Let us know how you do!

Barbara - they had trouble getting bloodflow once from my port, said to tell anyone else who tried to use it that it was "positional" (which I think is code for keep trying, in different positions!), and I never had trouble again.   Hope it's the same for you.  These ports are such a blessing!!

I hope the neuropathy symptoms stay manageable for you all on Taxol.  It IS funny how MO's are so different in the things they'll allow, but I know the information out there is mixed on so many things.  In the end, they just go with their best instincts or personal experience - as we all are!

Had #4 today, but AC only, not TAC.  We're now on a let's wait and see plan for the last 2 on whether they'll be AC or TAC.  MO reminded me that the taxanes are usually for node positive patients, which I'm not.  We added the Taxotere because my lump was "large, fast growing and poorly differentiated", and it raises my 5-yr rate slightly.  For those reasons, I'd still like to complete it, but we'll see.  I asked for copies of all my bloodwork since Dec to compare, and see my pre-chemo numbers dropping each time.  Guess I should have expected that.  My WBC counts are starting out at just barely within the normal rage this time, so I'm expecting my neutrophils to drop to 0 again.  I always hate that week, feel pretty vulnerable during flu season and all.  Came home and slept for 5 hours, have been up all night with hot flashes/sweats every 15 to 30 minutes, and chills in between.  Finally got up at 2, and haven't had a hot flash since.  Go figure.

Hope there's lots of zzz's out there right now.

Count it all joy - Will they give you a Neulasta shot to get your white counts up?  If I didn't have those, I would be pretty low.  Also, back to the smoothie drinks, are you using a juicer and how do you thaw the frozen juices?  I hope that this chemo works out better for you.  You are doing everything that you can do to prevent this from coming back, that's all you can do.  It's good that you didn't have node involvement, so that you have some different options with your chemo.  

I have been up since 4:40 gotta love steroids.

DJJ - I hope that this anti-seizure medicine does the job in getting rid of your nerve pain.  I think that you are the most active out of all of us and I can only imagine the frustration you must have.

Kim

taxol 3 done yesterday too...I must be a glass half empty gal because 9 more seems forever!  I iced hands again yesterday, for no tingling after last week when I did it, so I hope it stays away.  I told MO about sleep issues, she too suggested yoga and wants me to try Effexor for night sweats and to help me sleep.  I'm very nervous about an anti depressant drug only because I need to think straight for work, and there are days I already feel I'm in lala land, anyone else taking Effexor?

I ordered some yoga beginner videos and will try it, also getting my lazy butt back on treadmill, the weight has mr depressed.  My daughter has a yoga instructor friend who told us to look at doyogawithme.com, I will check it out as well, and it's free.  My best to all for a great weekend, in AK it is 30-40 degrees mildest winter we have ever had...businesses complaining for no snow!

thanks Neskir, I will give it a try because waking up every hour is not helping my fatigue.

Today is my chemo hump day, 8 down, 8 to go!  I too will be up between 2 and 4, will be up for at least 16 hours.

Today was the third time they had problems getting blood from my port.  The last two times if they laid me flat with my arms over my head and I looked to the right they could get it, today that wouldn't work.  They put something in there and let it sit for about 40 mins. Then flushed it, I still had to look to the right to get it to work.  I call it liquid plumber for the port. Hopefully it will work next week.

Jodi the plane ride looked like fun and really saved on time.  

Everyone else good luck while we all manage our SE's for the next few days!

Jodi...... I hear ya sister on the night sweats... Drive me nuts!!! I find they last about a week. I have a good week then it's time to start all over again.  It's such an awful feeling usually I'm sweating but cold to touch.... Makes sense.. Lol. 

just had taxol#3 today, so far so good - jumpy and sleepy because of the steroid and benedryl. It's crazy. When I was given taxol iv, for  about 1-2 min, my chest felt really weird, and it's a little bit hard to breath, then it went away. It happened for my last two treatment. Each time it last just a couple of minutes and went away. Have any of you experienced this? I can't believe I forgot to mention it to my nurse. I guess It's chemo brain or I was too busy icing hands and feet, what a hassle. I felt some tingling on my big toe, but was not too bad. I hope icing helped somehow.. 9 more taxol to go, at least now it is down to single digit. 

Sorry about the ranting here. I was reading some recent breast cancer publications today: part of my job because I work on research. Those statistics scared me sometimes. They say knowledge is power, but I found looking into all kinds of survival rate just make me depressed. Cancer sucks!! Better just ignore all those and enjoy life with family and friend one day at a time. 

Wish you all the best! No matter you are dealing with insurance company or SEs, tomorrow will be a better day!  

Taxol number 5 yesterday.  Woohooo 7 to go!  That's just 48 days.  It went well, I feel good this morning.  Going to a concert tonight.  So far the gabapentin my MO gave me for the nerve pain is not making me tired, or should I say more tired. 

Back to out pink conversation.  Yesterday when I was driving through the parking garage heading for chemo I saw a pink car.  It was a wagon with the bottom painted pink up to the windows and the top painted cream.  The hatch back window in large pink letters (about 6" tall each letter) said SURVIVOR and the U was a breast cancer ribbon.  Wow! That's taking it to the extreme.  I regret not getting a picture of it!  If it's there again I will.  You have to see it to believe it. 

DJJ, it's unreal to hear this...I mean I will be very very happy yo be considered a BC survivor...but at what point is it ok to advertise it?  And I know 5 and 10 years is the magic dates...but not always.  Just odd, very odd...I won't want this daily reminder.

I did get a pic of the plate I saw that day, meant to post it earlier

Jackjeak, That's great! I so hope that car is at my next chemo so I can get a picture of it.

A few weeks into Taxol I got white fuzz all over my face as well, you don't need a magnifying glass to see it, lots of it! Nothing on my legs.  I had stubble coming in on my head but my MO said it is not the hair I want to see it will be scraggly and sparse so I shaved it and within 4 days I had stubble on my head again.  This time I'm leaving it just in case it's really my hair I read that some woman get their hair back on low dose Taxol.  Fingers crossed.  I have two lashes left on my left eye and 4 on my right eye and my eyebrows are still thinning.  Personally, I would wait longer for the hair on my head if my eyebrows would stop falling out and my eyelashes would come back and my nose hairs, I WANT MY NOSE HAIRS BACK!!!

maybe 1 boob is referring to her husband? 

Facial hair, please no!