Starting Chemo February 2015

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  • Chloesmom
    Chloesmom Member Posts: 1,053
    edited April 2015

    yay Darumama. Every milestone is a celebration. The doctor was on the fence about if she would cancel my last TC the other day as I am getting so nauseous, but I'm just counting down the days to have this toxic stuff out of my system. If there is an end in sight we can get through anything

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  • live_deliciously
    live_deliciously Member Posts: 346
    edited April 2015

    i had a full period on a/c too. It was about 6 weeks after my last one and lasted for about 8 days. It wasn't normal but doc said she didn't think id have another one. We will see . I too am glad to be beyond a/c. It just sucks . hoping taxol dense dose will be easier . im pretty sick of chemo already.

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  • Jerseygirl927
    Jerseygirl927 Member Posts: 438
    edited April 2015

    my blood work came back low, so we were cancelled, sent to ER for fluids, and really have been fatigued since thurs. Hydration I thought was good, but guess not good enough. So now waiting to find out when next chemo is. Not that I really want it, but want this whole thing over. Hang in group, it has to get better sometime.

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  • Damselfly
    Damselfly Member Posts: 62
    edited April 2015

    The Doctor thought I was having withdrawl bleeding (not a period per se, but the bleeding you have when you take away the hormones, like the week 'off' when you're on the pill). She said it was not a problem if I was feeling OK, but if I am still bleeding on Monday, which would be day 12) I can come in for a blood test to make sure I'm not getting anemic or anything. I do not want anything to interfere with my last infusion a week from Monday, so I will probably be going in tomorrow...


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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited April 2015

    jeez I hate this stuff. I hate the suffering we're enduring.

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  • wrmbrownie
    wrmbrownie Member Posts: 114
    edited April 2015


    I haven't had a period in two months (I'm doing Taxol weekly first) and I guess I'll enjoy not having it on a/c by reading what you guys are saying.

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  • Jerseygirl927
    Jerseygirl927 Member Posts: 438
    edited April 2015

    we are all gonna be sick of this literally, mentally, emotionally. How long is your chemo? I have 6 sessions, every 3 weeks, but missed one already because of blood issues, then hercepton for a year? And pills for 5 years, at least this is what I understand.

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  • Darumama
    Darumama Member Posts: 135
    edited April 2015

    I am halfway through chemo. Just finished AC and will begin Taxol every other week x 4 in two weeks. After that I think I have about 6 weeks before radiation (anyone with more or less time before rads?) not sure about radiation schedule yet. Still haven't met RO. Then I expect Tamoxifen for 5 years and reconstructive surgery 6 months after rads end- hopefully by next spring I'll be all done with everything but the pills. It really is the long and winding road.

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  • wrmbrownie
    wrmbrownie Member Posts: 114
    edited April 2015


    I have Taxol for 12 weeks (1 week left) and then 12 weeks of A/C. Then surgery, 6 weeks radiation and 10 years on Tamoxifen.

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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited April 2015

    I have round 4 of 6 cht on 4/22. I cd t believe I'm only half way thru :( I wish this was #5 coming up at least. I fast before my chemo and take papaya leaf extract. It keeps numbers up! So far mine have been great and I'm kinda lazy about the papaya. Please try it. It'll keep you away from those nasty nuestra shots.

    Meanwhile I can't tell if I'm fatigued from chemo or tired from my toddler. I rarely sleep straight thru any night. I've experienced fatigue years ago from anemia but unsure if it feels the same each time.

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  • Chloesmom
    Chloesmom Member Posts: 1,053
    edited April 2015

    Couldn't eat all day due to awful metallic taste which has gotten worse. Was so tired my legs felt like tree trunks with each step. Could barely sort the silverware to put it in the drawer Then at 6:30 got a craving for chicken cacciatore. The spice covered up the metal taste and I enjoyed 1/2 a dinner. Got a burst of energy and organized my desk for an hour. This is such a roller coaster!

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  • Damselfly
    Damselfly Member Posts: 62
    edited April 2015

    Ha! Chloesmom I totally get your day :) Glad you had a good dinner.

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  • Bikerbabe17
    Bikerbabe17 Member Posts: 116
    edited April 2015

    Hi all, #3 down, and today is the always the worst. In a chemo fog, and have been crying all morning...I've no idea why. Still having to get shots for the blood clot, and now I've brusies all over my stomach, like a pin cushion😔. I'm so tired of all this, not sure I can make it thru, know I have to, but it's sodraining. It's a beautiful day here today, finally spring, sunny and warm, taking some of the edge off.

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  • SugarCakes
    SugarCakes Member Posts: 353
    edited April 2015

    has anyone had rectal bleeding? No constipation. Stools are loose but I wouldn't call it diarrhea. Quite a bit. In stool and not just when I wipe. I'm going to email the MO but figured I'd ask you girls also.

    Ate 1/2 a bowl of cereal last night. That was it all day :(

    So far today, not quite a 1/2 bacon and eggsandwich and some OJ.

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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited April 2015

    hi sugar cakes, I've had some rectal bleeding but it's prolly from my hemorrhoid when I had D. Is it fresh red blood? Btw I've been living off of cereal too, is the only thing that tastes good and doesn't upset my stomach. I am hating this mess!!!

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  • pj2
    pj2 Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2015

    Has any one had any sleep issues?  After my bad week, I can't seem to get a decent nights sleep.  It is the crazy dreams that I have that wake me up every two hours.  Sometimes it seems like morning will never come.  I was just wondering if I am the only one and if it ends.  My last treatment will be the 23rd of April.  I am on the TC regimen of 4 total treatments (1 every 21 days).

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  • Chloesmom
    Chloesmom Member Posts: 1,053
    edited April 2015

    New issue today. Huge bloat in belly. One big gas pain, belching like some guy that had too much beer. So unladylike. Trying to eat spicy stuff to cover the metal mouth taste that is sickening but maybe that's backfiring. (Pardon the pun!)

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  • Darumama
    Darumama Member Posts: 135
    edited April 2015


    Pj2--I have a difficult time falling back to sleep if I wake up in the middle of the night. When this happens I have a few chemo meditations on my phone which I sometimes play (usually my husband is out cold and doesn't mind). There are healing meditations free online I listen to also. I don't focus too much on actually following the meditation at night, it's just relaxing. I also have a white noise machine and a few free white noises apps on my phone. These have helped. For me,I need to to be distracted from my own thoughts.

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  • Jerseygirl927
    Jerseygirl927 Member Posts: 438
    edited April 2015

    ok sleeping is majorly disrupted, yes on nightmares, and odd dreams, I can hardly get back to sleep, I take melatonin sometimes, even have the sleeping pill if needed,

    Could not get 3rd chemo because blood levels were off, still waiting for dr to tell me when, this is so frustrating. I went to Gildas today, as we have one in our area and they asked if I would have my head done in henna?i am bald now, I thought about it and agreed, sat there for hour and half, I thought it looked great, had photos taken, waited about 5 hours for it to set and dry, when I took the wet washcloth to my head, it all came off! What a disappointment, but then I guess with all the drugs in me, I should have known it would not work. So well.

    I have been holding off with the papaya and probiotics, but since it was brought up , I think I will start to take it tomorrow, I was waiting for more joint pain? Now is that pretty dumb or what? i guess I lost all sense of intelligence. Dah

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  • Bikerbabe17
    Bikerbabe17 Member Posts: 116
    edited April 2015

    Sleep seems pretty elusive for all of us.  Last night was horrible for me.  Darumama, thanks for the suggestion, I'll see if I can find some of those meditations.  It is the same for me, just trying to get away from all of thoughts.  Jerseygirl, bummer about the henna. 

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  • pj2
    pj2 Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2015

    Darumama, Bikerbabe17, and Jerseygirl927- Thanks for the ideas, I will have to look into the meditations.  I have taken some sleep aids but I am really tired in the mornings after taking them.  It is nice to know that I am not alone all though I hate that anyone has to go through this.

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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited April 2015


    BTW, anyone have watery eyes? I had this on day 13 of my first treatment but thought maybe my lashes had fallen out but they didn't and I'm having it again today. Strange...

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  • Damselfly
    Damselfly Member Posts: 62
    edited April 2015

    Oh my gosh sounds like things are just getting more and more fun for all of us. I have issues with sleep sometimes if I wake up in the middle of the night, not from stress or bad dreams (as far as I can tell) but I am just wide awake. So I play boring repetitive games on my cell phone untill I get tired, and worst case scenario I can be the one that gets the kids up at 5:45 and I let my husband sleep, understanding that I will be passed out by the time it is time to make dinner. I think with me it's just that my sleep/wake schedule is off, I often need to nap throughout the day. Except during days 1-3 of the chemo cycle, then I blame the steroids.

    SugarCakes definitely tell your doctor about the bleeding. I think that's something they want to know about.

    Bikerbabe17 I hope things have improved for you. Day one of round 3 was awful for me as well, but things settled down with just the familiar old battles with constipation and heartburn etc etc. Oh, and my 2 week period, which seems to be ending now (knock on wood.)

    And since typing on here tends to remind me of stuff I will do I am now going to go take my vitamin so I can keep my iron up. Courage everyone! We will get there!

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  • TortyLass
    TortyLass Member Posts: 43
    edited April 2015

    MaryJC - my eyes are watering like a garden hose... and have been for weeks. Ugh. It's driving me nuts... especially since I just went back to work. I have to tell people that I am not crying! lo

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  • Chloesmom
    Chloesmom Member Posts: 1,053
    edited April 2015

    Somehow I missed the lesson on plastic utensils helping the metallic taste. 4 cycles of chemo and now I find something that helps! Today it was more white foods and Popsicles!

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  • Jerseygirl927
    Jerseygirl927 Member Posts: 438
    edited April 2015

    maryJC I too have watery eyes, off, on but not constant. The drippy nose is more a nuisance cause the minute I elevate the head, out it come, mostly drip drip, but have to keep that hanky nearby... Still no dr call from cancer center, so I wrote my nurse navigator, she is a dear, vented to her, will have to call for steroids?. Yes, no...? In the meantime, another cancer patient, uterine, said I had to get papaya and eat it dail, Not one of my favorites, so it is going in the freezer and then the blender or juicer, for a smoothie, will start to get creative, I have been pushing the potatoe soap cause my potassium is low, but gonna add kale to that and smoothies, hope it passes these lame taste buds.... Hate the taste of water too, Just too yucky .

    As for the henna, just a real faded yellow remains, maybe that's better than nothing, I did tell the coordinator, they are gonna try to figure it out as to if it is me, or formula too weak. Maybe we will try again, Anyone doing, share the journey? I am. And there are some neat questions finally. Mostly about mood, sleep, fatigue, etc. hope it help someone, now we just need some more suggestions on improvement....

    Read one of the other threads and one of the girls posted she was cancer free for 19 years and just got a reoccurrence, she was 35 then... I can't imagine, told her to read as much as she could, a lot has improved, hope she follows thru. Ok gang, try to get som sleep, and no bad dreams, only positive thought, Angels, flowers, clouds, waterfalls, rainbows. Pleasant pleasant pleasant.

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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited April 2015

    hi jersey girl, what part of nj btw? I'm in NYC. Just to clarify, the papaya is the leaf specifically rather than the fruit, that increases blood counts. So you can spare your sensitive tastebuds :) I too don't care for the fruit. Here's a link to a study from Sloan Kettering: http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/herb/papaya-leaf

    There is a great product by Herbal Papaya. It's organic, alcohol free. Comes in liquid and has a blood support formula in veggie capsules. And it works immediately! I read Amazon reviews to see what consumers say and most peoe raved about how it helped them. Majority have a condition called ITP which is blood platelet disorder, some were on chemo.

    I fast 3 days prior to my chemo which also keeps blood counts up and minimizes the SE's. Hope this helps!!!

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  • Jerseygirl927
    Jerseygirl927 Member Posts: 438
    edited April 2015

    thank you , thank you, I did make a smoothies and it was tolerable, now to get the leaves??? I will send hubby on a search. What do you do with leaves, juicer? He loves Amazon, just got a micro wave to hea t things.

    Also down here in south jersey near AC, and the casinos..

    Got my culture from my fluid draw last week, lympha cells, ? I am going to see if this is related to lymphadema ? If so, guess I will go for therapy. Fluid building again. Anyone know anything about this?

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  • MaryJC
    MaryJC Member Posts: 350
    edited April 2015

    where is the fluid building? You don't need to get the actual leaves. The product I mentioned I'd what you get. You take 1-2 tablespoons and that's it. You can find it on amazon or the products website may be a lil cheaper.

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  • Jerseygirl927
    Jerseygirl927 Member Posts: 438
    edited April 2015

    Mary, I understood the part about the leaves being in pill form. I will have my hubby check both, I am waiting on blood work at chemo to see if today is a go. Got 3 hours of sleep last night. and that's all, darn steroids..just got word. Blood work good so chemo a go today...

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