February 2014 Starting Chemo Club

congrats to all!   We will all get through this.   

Weekly Taxol is going faster than I expected.  Last week they gave me a bag of iron.  It looked like a bag of Merlot ( I wish)

Did anyone's hair grow back during taxol?? I have stumbled but think I'm loosing my eyelashes. 

lago, you know us all so well. Finished my chemo nine days ago and staring in the mirror every morning searching for new growth.

Congrats, Ladies! Hang tough. I also have a radiation consult coming up, but I may postpone it due to my non-existent white count. I see the onco on Monday for another check and will decide then. Although I hear that after the third week of radiation, you are barely crawling around from fatigue, that it's a relative breeze after chemo. Started running a low-grade fever again this morning, but that's also a side effect of the Neupogen. Sigh. Two steps forward, one back.

In the middle of all this, my 87 year old mom, who moved in with us after my dad's death, has started to slide into dementia. We just discovered she isn't paying her bills and her phone was shut off (she only has two bills, her Visa card and her phone bill. We cover everything else). I had to ask my brother to come over and handle everything because I just can't right now. Not sure what to do about her future. It's not looking good, but I can't imagine putting her in a home.

Sicilian check out the Alzheimer's Association site. You mom may not  have Alzheimer's but Alzheimer's is still a type of dementia. They do have info on dementia. There is a lot of good advice and pdfs to download even for caregivers. (I know this because I designed several of their pamphlets in 2005).

Have one of your siblings bring her to an MD asap. They might be able to slow it down.

h0pe- I have completed treatment number 4.  I have not had any problems with the premeds, but they are about the same as I had for the AC.  So sorry to hear you had such a hard time!

Jules- I hate the fog the premeds give me too....but I  am more afraid to see what would happen without!

Sicilian- Lago gave you some good resources...best wishes with this!  It so hard to manage our aging parents, especially now.  Side question for you...I see you did the tattoo nipples.  Did you find an artist yourself or did the PS do it?

Tang- sorry about the anniversary weekend...maybe next week?

Lago, as always, thanks for the advice. She actually sees her doctor this week re: her diabetes. He's also my doctor, so I plan on calling him to alert him. She insists she's just fine, maybe a little forgetful is all, but "I'd like to see you when you're 87!" is what we get. I don't know if she's covering up half the time or simply forgetting. She tells us her bills are all up to date, but then when we looked through them, they're unpaid, sometimes for months. She always asks us what day of the week it is, but I know that many retired people lose track of that since they don't have a set schedule. She's increasingly isolating herself as well, content to sit in her recliner and watch endless hours of moronic TV shows. It's terribly sad, and it's been so hard.

Tang, so very sorry about your anniversary plans. It really stinks, as we seem to have such small windows of feeling well between treatments and we look forward to doing things when we can! I hope you can reschedule SOON!

Sicilian go with your instincts. Of course she is hiding in her room. She doesn't want anyone to know. Not quite the same but my dad would deny he needs a new hearing aid... hears just fine. I asked him "how do you know what you can't hear?" He said "good point." But your mom probably knows and is scared. I know my grandfather was. He had some dementia at the end. He lived till 89!

The site does have info on what is typical forgetfulness and what isn't. When you or a sibling has time I highly recommend reading. I went through this with a friend of mine to convince her that  her mother was having problems. Sure enough she actually has Alzheimer's. The meds are controling it.

gatorgal89 I was on Taxol's cousin Taxotere. Other than Benadryl (made me spacey and high too) I took Zyrtec the entire time per my oncs recommendations. It took my body about a week to get used to that because any of that stuff makes me spacey. I would ask your onc about it or even if Claritin or one of the other antihistamines would help. You just might not play well with Benadryl.

So happy for you all that are finishing, and for who said they felt like a fraud, you are not. You are a fighter and a soldier for your family and those who care about you, aren't you? Doing what you had to to stick around? you'll get through....go get you some spring fever

tang.,, feel better soon!!!

Tang, so very sorry. When you said that you had to cancel your plans because of that virus, I was afraid you were going to get it. Take care and feel better soon.

Gator, sorry about your chemo woes. Hang in there. Like lago, I did Taxotere, not Taxol, but they gave me steroids not Benadryl, so I completely identify with the bloated thing. Ten days after finishing my last treatment, and I still feel like I look pregnant.

Thank you so much for all the advice on my mom, guys. You all are just amazing.

I see the onco today to check my blood count again. Here's keeping my fingers crossed that the white count is up!

Thanks ya'll! I'm feeling better...not puking or having the big D. I'm just worn out now. I wonder if my chemo will be postponed because of this. I'm annoyed, I STILL haven't heard back from my doc's office and I called this morning. It's 530p here and no call back....after being in the ER last night? grrr

Seems like most of us had a craptastic weekend!!!!!! I hope everyone starts to feel better soon. Even if it's just a little bit. Had my own little pitty party, spent my 40th bday in bed yesterday.  This last AC really did me in. I Usually feel better by today but not this time. thank god I don't have to do it again!!! 

God bless anyone who did this before side effect meds! And probably for a lot longer too!!!! I can't even imagine!!

Hugs to all!!

Craptastic is right.  I, too, just had my last AC and am definitely not doing much bouncing back.  My mouth is yuck and I think I overdosed on Magic Mouthwash last night.  Pounding fast heartbeat, couldn't move...but as usual with side effect, lived through it.   Don't swallow a bunch of it is my advice.  I start Taxol on the 24th.  Wish I knew what to expect for that party.  Leah

yes. Taxol better!  Although I cannot figure out why my eyelashes waited until now to leave me. ( I think I have 3 left on each eye, but that hair will still grow on my upper lip.  

No justice

jbokland I never  lost my all my  lashes on chemo... then about week 5 PFC (Post fina/fucking chemo) the fell out. This is not unusual. What was happening was the new lashes were growing and pushing the old lashes out. So maybe this is a sign they are growing back!