Starting Chemo March 2015
Comments
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Bekak! We are height twins. Also 4'11". My weight issue is opposite - I'm up 7lbs, usually run around 100, now 107. Don't currently care though. It's not like my clothes fit my one-boobed frame properly anyway.
~e
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Beekah,
I hope you feel better soon. Look on the positive...you are done with AC. Finished! I'm jealous. I'm dreading #4 and it's nine (9!) days away. I thought chemo wasn't suppose to be cumulative, but I'm finding out that that's a bald faced lie. I'm still recovering from #3. I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to work if this keeps up.
Taxol...I hope all you printed there is true. I've been snooping over at the January boards to see what those girls are going through. It sounds like a lot of bone and muscle pain. I just hope it's not as bad as AC side effects. Someone on one of the boards had an allergic reaction to Taxol. They might be done with chemo because of that. That sounds like a good and bad thing depending on which way you look at it.
Mary
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Molly, my eyelashes and brows were very thick and have thinned about 50% so I'm happy about that so far.
I hope you have s wonderful night out with your birthday boy tonight!
Bekah- it is so good to "see you" But so sorry you continue to struggle. I'm hoping it's not all lies and you have a small glimmer of hope ahead. No more mowing! If you feel good lay in the lawn chair for an hour, pretend to read abook and watch the dogs and the birds. K?
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Thanks Molly...that helps ease my mind some!
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My MO thinks that the Perjeta is what has caused my extreme diarrhea. I have a wacky thyroid too. It cycles, but it tends to be low most of the time, so diarrhea is very unusual for me. It seems like I get adjusted up a dose about every 6 months. I'm holding steady at 112 mcg right now.
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I am too chicken to read the Taxol boards yet. I need to get through at least the next couple of weeks first. So I am 3/4 the way through AC now. Yippee!
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You have the option of icing your fingernails and toenails on Taxol to prevent lifting - that is the SE that is potentially a more permanent issue.ย I just used bags of frozen peas and started icing 10 minutes prior to Taxotere, and continued icing for 10 minutes after.ย I also held crushed ice in my mouth.ย Keep your nails polished with clear hardener - I put on a coat daily - and keep them short so you don't catch them on things and exacerbate potential lifting.ย Taxanes have a different nail SE than other types of chemo, others darken and cause ridges, taxanes can cause nail lifting and loss.
For nose bleeds - use a q-tip and put some Aquaphor up each nostril and mush it around.ย I did this several times a day.ย For those on Taxotere and experiencingย "taxotears" which is the involuntary eye watering, I got cracks at the corners of my eyes from the irritation - used Aquaphor.ย Also used it on hands and feet and put socks on all four at night.
I never completely lost my lashes or brows - brows stayed enough that I could use powder and darken what I had, lost all bottom lashes, and kept half a dozen on each upper - but not evenly.ย I only lost brows and lashes once - some "cycle" and lose several times.ย Lashes and brows are not used to falling out all at once - they usually go one at a time - so sometimes it takes several losses and returns for them to stop falling out.
Most don't experience nausea/vomiting with Taxol.ย Also, if you suffered with AC, generally Taxol is easier.ย Unfortunately the reverse is true as well.
rleepac - unfortunately both Herceptin and Perjeta can cause the Big D, so be prepared for that possibility.ย I added a probiotic and it helped tremendously.
I also wanted to add that while I have talked about healthy eatingย in this thread, I didn'tย embark on that until AFTER chemo.ย During chemo I tried to eat well, but I ate what I could tolerate to get me through.ย It would be nice toย eat onlyย healthy thingsย during chemo, but let's be real, it is a challenge.ย I ateย a significant amount of mashed potatoes with cheese and crumbled bacon.ย Seriously.
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I'm 4 feet-11 too!!!
Love the topless stories. And I also started keeping count of all the people touching my boob. The number was over 30 after just a few weeks, so I decided to set a goal of 100 by the end of the year. But then things slowed down and i "worried" to friends that i wouldn't reach my goal--now many of them are offering to "help" should I start coming up short. Things did pick up a little bit last week when my surgery site picked up an infection which meant 2 people at MO office and 3 at BS office got a quick feel. Ha ha
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Trvler - Congratulations! ๐๐๐๐๐ on getting to 75%! Very proud of you.
That was nice, SpecialK, to let us know that sometimes it's ok to just do what you gotta do
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Hi Bekah, I know I am DD but some things are the same. Sorry to copy you, but I can't remember the post by the time I try to answer. Chemo brain is very very real! Take care of yourself, mowing?? No oil changing in the car either.
CherylI think I'm looking forward to the Taxol/Herceptin/Perjeta but I'm no fool...those nurses aren't always right and they sometimes flat out lie!
- I won't lose any more hair and my hair will start to grow back - My hair started to grow back during DD Taxol after the second infusion
-I won't lose my eyebrows or eyelashes - Mine fell out after the third infusion of DD Taxol, but came back quick and fuller
- I won't get any nausea or vomiting - I had a little nausea but no vomiting, meds worked
- The fatigue won't be as bad - Not so true for me but I had DD AC first then DD Taxol and worked 42 hours a week
- I don't have to have the Neulasta (that's the only one I believe so far) - Not true for me I had DD AC/T so 7 1/2 injections
- I MIGHT have some nail problems (I'm translating that to I WILL have nail problems) - LIE LIE LIE - Lost my thumbnail and all the toe nails a mess! The new nails are growing back under the old one.
- I MIGHT have some bone pain or achiness (considering it was horrific on Neulasta, I'm kinda counting on this) - I had Neulasta worst pain EVER on DD Taxol
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So, Special, you are saying that if I have an easy time on AC, I might have a hard time on Taxol.
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Trvler, AC DD was the rough one for me, but Taxol DD had different side effects. I just think it was worse for me because I worked 42 hours a week and I was already exhausted and fighting the side effects of AC. I hope you do well.
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I've had the first docetaxel and herceptin and my reaction was horrible . I was told to expect 'flu like symptom's' which I experienced on the Sunday afternoon following the Friday treatment. If the flu feels like you've been hit by a car then right. Others here have said its the docetaxel at fault for this and Im hoping this is true considering I have herceptin for a yr. 5th is next week, dreading it.
Thank you for the info about the bloody movements, it scared me a bit and the area is kind of delicate at the moment but blood in the toilet is scary as hell. My appetite is returning a bit as is my ability to swallow food without wincing every time.
I have also not lost my eyebrows, my eyelashes have thinned however and I'm afraid to wear makeup because I dont want the lashes being pulled out when removing it. I've decided to go without makeup, I wear a tube scarf and a plain face and I'm ok with that, it doesnt bother me and I figure no one really cares anyway. Although if i had to go to work I'd think differently.
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Before my mastectomy I had a tee shirt that said Last Chance, to be worn around my select and funny friends!
That got quite a few volunteers and lightened the moment.
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All of my friends groped my boob goodbye before my Mx. Laugh or cry, right?
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eheinrich, if we laugh we don't cry........much. But at least we can laugh about that now.
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terry - Taxotere (docetaxel) is double the potency of Taxol (paclitaxel), so your SE may be more intense.ย Herceptin by itself does not have nearly the SE of chemo drugs, mostly a low grade headache, drippy nose for me.ย I do advise infusing Herceptin alone (when you get to that point) over 90 minutes to reduce SE.ย Some centers like to give in in 30 minutes so you can get in and out, but some have experienced bone/joint pain.ย I did on the first H only given in 30 mins, pretty severely even though I didn't have that problem when it was combined with TC, slowed it down next infusion to 90 minutes - problem solved.
trvler - there is no predicting, you may do just as well with the T as you did with the AC, but you may experience cumulative fatigue.ย Here's hoping you sail through - are you doing DD or weekly?ย
As far as pre-meds or Neulasta - all dependent on what your labs show and how you tolerate, none of the rules are written in stoneย - if your WBC are low you will most likely continue with Neulasta.ย Unfortunately, the potential for bone pain increases because taxanes have a bone/joint pain SE that is less frequent with AC.
eheinrich - I think laughter is one of the best "medicines" with regard to all of this!
beatit - too funny!ย I can't even begin to count boob/foob touches considering how many surgeries I have had, lol!ย
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Bekah, I too am on weekly Taxol - #3 tomorrow. I'm doing cold caps so can't comment about the hair but I have heard that it's less taxing on your hair & can even start to grow back. I still have eyebrows and eyelashes. My appetite has been fine and I haven't had any nausea. I've kept my nails painted a dark color and they still are doing well. I've had slight bone pain once or twice and took Advil for it & it was gone. I do have some fatigue but nothing compared to the fatigue with AC. Overall, this hasn't been so bad & I can function almost as normal. I, like Molly, also worry about the possible neuropathy but so far so good. I started taking glutamine supplements to help ward off any neuropathy.
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Weekly taxol begins on May 19.
Just got home from AC#3. My friend went this time and we had a nice timeโฆ.well as nice as one can have on chemo. She had to go get us lunch since it went on a long time but it was good I ate. Doctor doesn't seem too concerned with heart skips and shortness of breathe. Told me to increase fluids. I will give it a shot. The nutritionist met with me the first time and told me my fluid intake was fine so I don't know. I would love to believe it's that and not some kind of heart issue.
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Trvler, I noticed some shortness of breath and heart skips while on AC too. I mentioned it to my MO and he didn't seem too concerned as well. I haven't thought much about it since then until I just read your post. And now thinking of it, I don't think I've had any episodes while being on the Taxol. So maybe it truly is a side effect of the AC and not a heart issue?? Like we don't have enough to worry about...
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Well, if it were not for the fact that one of the SE's of AC IS heart damage I wouldn't be worried. But how do you know if your heart IS damaged?
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Ninjamary, I am the one who had an allergic reaction to Taxol this morning. Here's my story:
I did DD AC x 4 and each time I had bone pain but I just slept and did not take any pain meds. I attributed it to the Neulasta shot. When I did DD Taxol#1 I had severe knee pain which could not be controlled by Norco; then Day 6, severe back spasms which were controlled by Flexeril (muscle relaxer) plus Norco. I was not sure if Neulasta contributed to that.
MO suggested weekly Taxol which is a lower dose and no Neulasta shot.
Reaction came on very fast...as soon as the drip got to my body. One second I'm thinking I am having a little anxiety, then the next second I'm flush faced and heavy in the chest, raised blood pressure, and having a painful back spasm. Treatment was swift thanks to four nurses: taxol drip stopped, a shot of something ? and two more shots of Benadryl, and some extra oxygen. Symptoms quickly reversed and after resting and being watched for an hour, I was sent home.
While this is rare (I've read 2% during trials during first or second infusion), I did want you all to know that an allergic reaction can happen at any time. So, please, do not hesitate to alert the chemo nurse if you feel anything unusual. Hopefully, it will just be a little anxiety, but you will have the nurse right there to hit the stop button if needed.
Best wishes to you all. Becky
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I had a small reaction to Taxol the first time too - they were watching me really closely and told me to report any shortness of breath. I am still not 100% convinced I even felt shortness of breath but more like a heaviness in the chest? Regardless, they stopped the med and took my blood pressure and it was high, so I got more steroids and then they slowed down the Taxol. It went fine after that and I have not had any trouble since.
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Trvler- to your point of how do you know if the A is causing heart damage:
When for me A was still on the table (ultimately taken off by joint decision) my MO said I would have an additional echocardiogram before each infusion. Since I didn't go that route, I'm not doing that. But I wonder how many getting A are getting monitored via echo regularly?
BTW: big whine coming up- I feel like ass again today. Yes the fever is down. MO glad I'm home taking my temp instead of at the ER. But Thursday blood draw might be interesting. My whole body aches (definitely still sore from the fall but this is more). I'm so weak it's hard to hold my phone up to type. My eyelids hurt. My fingertips hurt. My throat hurts. My heart hurts (as in I want to cry) whaaaa......,Everything hurts. The worst day of chemo so far bar none. Ok rant over. I know it's still so much less than others have suffered... I always remind myself of Shaz and Bekah in these week moments.
I just facetimed my bestie and took some meds. Starting to feel a little better. Trusty Jack the overworked therapy dog at my side. It could be worse.
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Ok I feel a little better about the Taxol. I'll be on alert for allergic rxn symptoms!
Unfortunately I can't ice fingers and toes because of Raynaud's disease but I do plan on keeping them painted with a dark/opaque polish at all times. Hopefully that will help.
Just finished AC #4 and my hair is already starting to grow back in all stubbly.
Bekah
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Katy: I am sorry you are having a crappy day. What did they do when you went to the ER? Was it something you can do at home anyway?
What does the dark nail polish do? I have seen that mentioned a bunch.
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My therapy cat
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Tryvler- they triaged me and made me wait in a bug filled room for hours waiting for an isolation room that was occupied. . I finally just left and called my mo in the morning. He agreed. It was the other on call onc who sent me. My doc says at home I'm bubble girl and as long as it doesn't spike over 100.5 to stay put. I've noticed these fevers always seem to happen just after I wake up (or they wake me up) so next time I'm not going to panic and give a little time after my body wakes up before I make any phone calls. I am literally 5 minutes from the Hosp. There must be some cushion time built into the numbers like how far apart your labor pains are. I'm just being whiny. I honestly think I'm at more risk at the hospital than at home. On Thursday when I go for blood I will discuss thoroughly and make a plan with them. Some guidelines. In the meantime , I put a couple of backup plans in place for Jack the wonder dog so if it gets serious I don't I don't do anything stupid. Like stay when I should really go.
I think the dark nail polish is just to hide it when they start to turn black. Ugh.
Just for good measure I just got my coconut oil out and slathered it on everywhere. Yes, TerryMarie. Everywhere. Can't see how it can hurt. Haha.Works for Italychick and she's my hero!
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Bekah! Magnificent kitty! Name please? Kitties are caretakers tooand they need to be kept in our thoughts and prayers too. A hard job.
And BIG ๐๐๐๐๐๐ for hitting this 4/4 important milestone! You are one BADASS!!!!
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Becky- I also wanted to express my concerns and sorrow that you had such a scary day. Thanks for being so generous and brave to share your experience with us so we have a better idea of all possibilities.
It does sound like you were well and efficiently taken care of and for that I am grateful. Best wishes on next go-round and WELCOME!!! To the club you never wanted to be a member of. But we are very glad to have you. Hugs.
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