Starting Chemo January 2015

Happy for you chemo is over jlstacey!

I had 4xtaxotere and the first 3 no big problems just a little tingling in my fingers, but now my toes are all numb and my fingers a little bit. I also avoid to walk barefoot. Hope this will not last to long. You think you have finished, but not with the se's...

Noor

Yea JStacy!! May you heal and recover!!

You made it finally!!!

Jlstacey - woot woot - congrats on finishing chemo!!! We're almost here, ALL OF US yet a few months ago we thought this would never end!!!

PMR3, I have 3 to go including tomorrow first thing then herceptin only until next April

FYI my MO did warn me about water retention from Taxol and said it would cause weight gain that would disappear soon after being done.

My feet feel crammed in all my shoes and my toes look like little sausages lol.

I called the local bakery today and asked if I can get 50 cupcakes to give out at work to celebrate when done.

i have to decide if I will take someone with me for my last chemo but think I will likely pass and sleep through it as usual. They will thiink I am weird but I don't care-they willl still see me for almost a year lol.

Can't wait to be done Taxol. I have 1cm white hair but everyone thinks it's bleached and hip. I am not amused. One nurse said it might darken, the other one said get used to it and be ready to die it every month.

Time will tell! I hate the comments about how nice short hair looks on me - I want my full mop back lol.

Have A nice weekend ladies-mine starts tomorrow on the chemo chair but I am so used to it by now...

Marjo

Ugh.. lingering chemo issue. My port developed a fibrin sheath (clot that covers the cath inside the vein) shortly after it was put in back in Feb, so it stopped working for blood draws but worked for infusions. My veins are awfully tiny so they wanted to leave it in through all treatments, including radiation, "just in case". Well just as I ended chemo in late March, as I was putting on a shirt, I experienced a really frightening sensation of a "choking pressure" in my neck and rushing in my ears. I really thought I was going to pass out. It scared me so I had to sit down til it passed. Mentioned it to my nurses and docs but they thought it was fatigue - heck I was just done with 4 rounds of TC! I told them I was afraid it was a blood clot. "No, that would be very very rare.... and hey look, the port is working for draws now too!!" (hrm.. honestly, then i was afraid the fibrin sheath had broke away from the cath and was floating around in there)

I went back to work full time (and then some) on 4/11 and have been working all through rads. Well, the choking pressure has only gotten worse/more frequent. I had a horrible occurance 2 weekends ago when I overdid things, so I really strongly raised the symptoms again to my rads onc last Wed. He decided to talk to my chemo onc. I saw him again today at 7:15am this morning and told him it got even worse, and that this morning my hubby had to get my socks out of the drawer because I couldnt bend over without feeling the pressure rush into my head and nearly vomiting.

He sent me straight over to ER... where 3 hours later after a CT scan, I was diagnosed wtih a moderately sized blood clot in my vein, yep, caused by the port. (told ya so!!!! argh!!!) 10 hours after arriving for rads, I am now lying in my hospital bed on a Heparin drip until it dissolves enough to be safely removed. Probably 1-2 days.

Bottom line everyone...I got really lucky. Please SPEAK UP if you feel anything unusual is going on, and don't stop until they listen! Only you know your body....

wow TortyLass, I too am stunned that they took so long to look into this issue further for you. Thank goodness you are getting treated for it now. My port bothered me from the get go and I got a fibrin sheath as well. Luckily I had it removed as I started radiation. I was so excited that day! Speedy recovery to you

Hi Ladies,

I have tried to read up and catch up; I have had a hell of a time with the last Taxol. I over did it, being on my feet too long Saturday and around 8:00 I felt like my feet were on FIRE!! I was in absolute tears! Ben filled a cooler up with ice and water and I just dunked my feet in and cried it was so painful!! Then the nose bleed started and I think it freaked me out more than anything but that's the worse I've hurt and the worse nose bleed I've had since starting Taxol. Definitely the worse Ben has ever seen me and he took such good care of me but cried at the same time because he hates to see me hurt!

JLStacey---WHOOOOO-HOOOOOO!!!!!! So happy for you!!! No More CHEMO!!!! YAY!!!!

Torty, I am so sorry you had to go through all that!! What a horrible feeling. And thank God they finally found it....if only they had just listened to you. I pray you are feeling better and healing quickly!

PMR, the neuropathy has gotten pretty bad. It hurts to walk, I can't feel the bottom of my feet anymore and the heals hurt so bad when I walk. I can't feel the tips of my fingers on both hands and I am trying to take care of my hands and feet with the B6 and Glutamine and vitamins. None of my nails are lifting, all finger and toe nails look healthy and like they are staying put. It's a chore to type as I can't feel the keys as I type which is really strange; it's taking me a really long time to write this and correct typos at the same time! LOL

Tennisfan, I'm with you; I don't want to "look great with short hair"; I want my long full hair back to color and straighten and wear pony tails again! Lol I have 1 more Taxol this Thursday and then Done with Chemo!! Just Herceptin like you till next April; then finally the port can come out!! I see my RO for the first time July 6th; my Mom is going with me.

My daughter is taking me to my last Chemo and it will be a true celebration and I have no doubt I will shed tears. This is such an emotional journey we are on ladies. And for whoever said, this is the longest 6 months of your life...YES!! This has been the toughest, longest 6 months of my life; and will without a doubt be one of the hardest, toughest, emotional, and challenging years of my life. It did touch my heart when my daughter asked my Mom if she could be the one to take me to my last one. I will post a picture over the weekend or next Monday.

I sleep allot now and everything hurts, not as bad as my feet; however I hurt and ache. I am retaining SOOOO much fluid from the Taxol. When I see my MO and Research Nurse (Mary) they look at my left ankle and foot propped up and I just say "It's the Elepfootittus" and we laugh......have to try and have a sense of humor whenever possible.

The sores in my mouth are all on the right side of my tongue, throat and I feel like I'm trying to get an ear infection in my right ear. I use Orasooth and they gave me something to completely numb my mouth however it only lasts 15-20 minutes. Eating is difficult and when I brush my teeth it looks like a crime scene! Lol Bloody nose, bloody gums, sores, hot flashes and, and, and...UGGHHH!!! Only 1 more then about a 3 week break before RADS start....Thank God for the break!!!

Love you ladies; pray you've all had a good week and for those that aren't I'm pulling for you and right there with you pushing through!! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

(((((HUGS)))))

Lara

Lara,

You are so strong!! I am glad you are almost done. You are having a lot of horrible SE! Does your MO know all of this? Do you really need that last one with such neuropathy?. I stopped at 4 cycles of TCHP because mine was getting so bad. I was worried about long term. My MO did not argue with my decision. I just said enough. Bless you and a big hug.

PMR53

Lara, I think like Wendy that it would be wise to aks your MO if you really need that last chemo, if you already suffer so much already.

Tortylass, what a story. This shows that you have to trust your gutfeelings and insist that they look further even if you dr says it's nothing. I hope they can remove the blotcloth soon.

I'm in the hospital now and will have UMX tomorrow.

Noo

Spookisgirl; thank you and I'm with you...ready for the bloody nose, aches, pains, neuropathy, etc...to be gone! Bring on Rads?? Never thought I'd say that! Lol ((HUGS)))

PMR; thank you soooo much!! I don't feel strong however I know what strength it takes for us to complete these treatments and surgeries and all that comes with them! My MO and Research Nurse and her assistant all know about the gradual progression of the neuropathy; however this time has been the absolute worse and so much more intense! I will let them know Thursday just how bad it got. It's just 1 more and I don't want to give up unless I have too; so afraid of this coming back some day so I want to do Everything I can do and handle to decrease the percentages of it re-accuring later. (((HUGS)))

Noor; Good luck with surgery tomorrow; I will be thinking of you and sending prayers your way! (((HUGS)))

RV6girl; how bad did it get with your neuropathy? I'm taking everything they suggested and it has been manageable until now. Is it just your feet or hands too? I am so sorry to hear it has lingered for so long! Is it getting any better? 13 weeks seems like a long time! (((HUGS)))

I'm out of Orasooth too so I will try and get over to Oncology pharmacy to get a new bottle; I'm trying to just not talk much or at all today and only eating things I don't have to chew much. By the end of the day I am just miserable!! I am at work so they are leaving me along to just do what I can and Ben drives; I can't drive anymore because I can't focus and I fall asleep after about 3 minutes behind the wheel. And now...I can't feel my feet which lends and entirely different aspect to trying to drive. Lol

Love you girls! Stay strong and I'll keep ya posted; if nothing else....Thursday is my LAST CHEMO!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!! and WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

Lara

Noor46 - Wishing you a smooth surgery today and a speedy recovery! I will be thinking of you!

Hi everyone,

Thankyou all for your kind words.

My surgery went well, just 1 drain and they also removed the PAC. I will stay in hospital until monday (5 days is standard in France), so plenty of time to rest before I go home.

Noor

Noor46 - glad to hear surgery went well and that you are posting already! Wow! Enjoy your rest there and get well soon.

I'm so glad surgery went well Noor!

PMR53, PAC is the port-a-cath for chemo. Actually the incision they made to get that out hurts more than my Umx. Hope I can help you in octobrr

Lara I am doing the biggest happy dance that my IV allows for you!!! WOOO HOOOO!!!!!!