April 2015 Chemo Crew... Starting in April? Please join us!

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  • sheshe3
    sheshe3 Member Posts: 70
    edited June 2015

    Gingerchi, wow what an ordeal for you! Glad you're home and getting the care you need.

    Ksusan congrats on today's decision!

    Allicat so sorry to hear about you and your son's illnesses. Send I g hugs and best wishes for speedy recovery.

    Littleblue, I had a complete annual physical three weeks before mammo and my wbc was low - 3.1

    Also Littleblue, you cracked me up about the leather pants!😂

    BAT, good news on the tumor shrinking. Here's hoping continued healing.

    I finally got my new tx plan... I will do my last two taxotere, carbo, herceptin and perjeta tx, then visit radiation for a co Sault on whether or not to have it, then finish my full year of not only herceptin, but also perjeta. Here's to a year of continued baldness I guess! It seems that perjeta has se of hair loss. 😔

    However, In my head I know all these things are for my good and I just have to suck it up and deal with!I know that's what we've all been doing!

    Hope you all have a happy, healing weekend!

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  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 632
    edited June 2015

    Well I never thought it could be related but now that someone mentioned teeth, I lost 2 teeth on my right side (same side as cancer) within a year or so prior to dx. Maybe a wierd coincidence?

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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited June 2015

    #18: I'm grateful that the US has joined the countries recognizing marriages between same-sex couples.

    Also, I'm grateful for bourbon, my first drink (other than a sip of champagne in March and a sip of beer last night) since December 6th.

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  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 632
    edited June 2015

    ok Ladies. I was told to keep alcohol at a minimum but not told to abstain. Were others told that alcohol was forbidden and, if so, why?

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited June 2015

    bourben...beer...mmmm mm

    sueh58, my MO didn't tell me to abstain from alchohol, guess I just assumed it..

    interesting about symptoms pre diagnosis...I wonder. It seems like our bodies were trying to tell us something? Another weird thing I had was for 8 months prior I was grinding my front teeth horribly at night...to the point where I had to get a night guard. After surgery that stopped too.


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  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited June 2015

    I was told by MO not to drink during chemo, and I mostly won't during radiation, but it was pleasant to have a finger of bourbon.

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  • AndreaC
    AndreaC Member Posts: 220
    edited June 2015

    Hi all -

    Hope all who had chemo this week are having minimal SE's.

    Ginger - that sucks about your hospital stay but it sounds like you are in good hands and are healing.

    Allicat - sorry to hear of your son's struggles with Crohn's. Nasty disease. Good luck to him!

    Congrats to the U.S. for the same-sex marriage law...it's about time!

    Re alcohol - I was told that small amounts are fine on chemo. I don't usually have more than one drink at a time anyway. Except when it comes to margaritas...

    Re symptoms before diagnosis - I had recently been on chemo for colon cancer so was still somewhat tired...but probably from the rough year I'd had - surgery then chemo. Hard to tell if there were any indications of breast cancer. It was picked up on mammogram in December. I am so tired of cancer.

    But to lighten the mood...a picture of my granddaughter Kate!She is 6 months old today.

    Andrea

    image




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  • slv58
    slv58 Member Posts: 1,216
    edited June 2015

    Andrea, she is so beautiful! Give her a smooch for me, I'm still patiently (eye roll) waiting For that blessing.....

    As far as alcohol, my MO said a drink here or there is ok. I've had 3 since starting and feel ok about it but did notice it seemed to affect me more than usual.

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  • Stephmoen
    Stephmoen Member Posts: 563
    edited June 2015

    she she I'm interested in you doing he perjeta for a full year is that an option??

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  • lovlilynne
    lovlilynne Member Posts: 405
    edited June 2015

    Hi Ladies, just checking in before my last push of packing and packing up car. My sister and I joke that we feel like that scene in "The Jerk" where Steve Martin is leaving Bernadette Peters, and he "doesn't want anything" but then picks up random things as he leaves the house. That's how I pack. Oh, just this one more thing I may need . . . Even though I have a list!

    Regarding alcohol - my MO didn't say anything, but I made a joke about drinking to the Infusion nurse, and she said that my MO is really strict about not drinking - like only 1 glass of wine for a very special occasion, like your 25th wedding anniversary. Personally, I quit when I got my 2nd diagnosis. I figured if I was going to go through chemo, my body has enough with which to deal without adding alcohol to process. Since then, I've had a couple of drinks - if I count them up, I think its about 8 since March 6 - which may still seem like a lot, but normally, it would have been 50-60 drinks since then. When going through AC, just the thought of wine/alcohol did not appeal, so no biggy.

    On vacation, my sisters and I have "happy hour" every night - snacks and cracking a bottle of wine. It's become a tradition, and the kids love it - for the snacks of course, but pretty funny to see the looks you get at the pool when your kid yells, "hey mom, when's happy hour?" I am going to use moderation and common sense through it - if I feel like having some wine, i will. I did notice that I got a bigger headache from vodka, so I'll be avoiding the martinis.

    Regarding symptoms before diagnosis - nope, nada, none. I was completely clueless, and I totally expected to be sent on my way after follow up mamo. It's interesting that you mention fatigue, because I was tired all the time, but I think it was just normal tiredness through the holiday, lack of exercise, overeating. But, I ran into a colleague in the hall at work, and she had DCIS, and I had mentioned that I felt tired like they say you do when you have cancer - I think it was 2-3 weeks later that I was diagnosed.

    Andrea, thanks for sharing that picture - she is beautiful. I love that age. Actually I love all the ages, but I do miss babies. I wish I could hold my babies again.

    Sheila, glad you have your treatment, but that sucks about the hair. Baldness got old fast for me.

    I sort of outed myself at work the other day. Before I went out on leave, I had planned an after-work outing - just to a local bar/restaurant. I've been planning them monthly trying to get the morale up in my group, which it is doing. I didn't want to miss it, so I went, but sans wig, I just wore my hat. There were a couple people who already knew about my chemo, but a couple others there I don't think did, so it's out there now.

    I'll post some pictures of ME when I get there - it's so beautiful up there, I think it could cure cancer.

    Lynne

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  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 632
    edited June 2015

    so jealous! I LOVE Maine!!! N

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited June 2015

    Oh my goodness what a darling baby!

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  • Rockerwife
    Rockerwife Member Posts: 63
    edited June 2015

    How could I forget the most significant symptom of of all? For a few months prior to finding the lump, I would experience intermittent pain when I lifted my left breast to plop it into my bra. When I went for appt prior to surgery the nurse said that the pain was the tumor coming out of the milk duct. Must've been because once I had found the lump the intermitant pain ceased.

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  • sunshine100
    sunshine100 Member Posts: 11
    edited June 2015

    Hello everyone. Does anyone take L-Glutamine? Do your doctors recommend it. I am having tingling in feet and legs from AC and just had first Taxol and now have a little in hands. Don't know what to do. Have seen my doctors and they say jeep going with chemo. My MO does not recommend L Glutamine because there are no proven studies but my friend who is an NP said they recommend it. So confused!

    Thank you for any replies

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  • Scarlett152
    Scarlett152 Member Posts: 175
    edited June 2015

    Lynne, are you yourself driving to Maine? Having a debate with myself and family about me driving from San Francisco to Tahoe, about a 4 hour+ drive with holiday traffic. It would just be me and my 15 year old driving as my husband and 17 year old are back east for college tours (actually heading to Maine tonight!). I'd be staying with friends and other families up there. The lake feeds my soul so I think it would be very good but concerned about drive and the lack of a major hospital. There is a regional hospital which is nice and unfortunately we have experience at from skiing injuries! I ended up in ER 2 weeks ago with fever, but WBC was fine and I was sent home. Feeling cabin fever here at home as not working and have not left town since February! Had 3rd TC on 6/18 and last one 7/9. Feel ok right now but have not really done much this week except for errands and walks.

    Guess I'm looking for someone to tell me it's ok to go (or tell me on their experience it's a really, really bad idea)! My girlfriends say they'll take better care if me up there than me being by myself at home and if need be will drive me back home to UCSF. Torn.

    As for alcohol - my chemo teach nurse said none. I had some elevated liver enzymes before surgery due to some post diagnosis consumption, so have not risked it during chemo as I don't want to having liver levels to cause any delay and liver is already working overtime in chemo. Tried a sip of wine last month and it tasted terrible, so it hasn't been much of an issue. The real challenge will be when chemo is done and my taste for wine comes back. The 3 glasses a week limit will be a challenge for me as we are wind and food lovers. I keep telling myself that life has changed and this will be for the best to really cut back. Had club soda, cranberry and limepoolside last night while my friends had the same just with vodka added! Actually had to have my friend check that mine did not have vodka as they all looked the same and I couldn't really taste it! I think for me it might just be the ritual of a Friday night cocktail and not the alcohol itself. Just kidding - it's the booze too!

    Happy Saturday! San Francisco is awash in gay pride! What an amazing weekend! People are visibly happy and celebrating. As a lawyer I plan to read the actual opinion this weekend, which will be boring and all about states rights and the constitution, but if you get a chance take a look at the last paragraph of the opinion. Not typical Supreme Court rhetoric, but beautiful!



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  • Scarlett152
    Scarlett152 Member Posts: 175
    edited June 2015

    Sunshine, UCSF recommend 10 grams L-glutamine powder in water x 3/day plus b-6 and folic acid starting day after chemo for 5 days. Hard to find the 10g powder in stores but I did get it online. They said less than 30g a day did not really help. I found it help after tingling the first round. Also prescribed a diarrhetic because they thought some of the hand numbness was swelling. It has stopped now.

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  • sunshine100
    sunshine100 Member Posts: 11
    edited June 2015

    Thank you Scarlett152. What is a safe brand to take of the L-Glutamine. I also feel like my body is vibrating internally and I have a weird sensation on my left cheek. I don't know what is happening to my body

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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited June 2015

    beware if you do take L-G it tastes terrible snd some have mixed with juice. But anything acidic will nullify the benefits so hold your nose and take it with water or it will be awaste.

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  • gkodad
    gkodad Member Posts: 188
    edited June 2015

    Has anyone tried to L-glutamine chews from GNC?  They have 2500mg per chew and supposedly taste like starbursts.  Pricey - bag of 60 is $15, but if I'm only going to do it 5 days that's just a bag per Taxol session.    I already have a hard time getting enough liquid down, so if there's any easy way to do this, I'm all for it.  I figure I can do 2 six times a day and get the 30 grams down.

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited June 2015

    re: drinking. I give you Elegantly Wasted by INXS. 😆

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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited June 2015

    rrrgh why can't I post youtube videos anymore?

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  • Copperlisa
    Copperlisa Member Posts: 24
    edited June 2015

    Just a farewell to y'all. Chemo is finished. Side effects not as bad as round 3. Praying y'all have positive, wonderful outcomes. I move to radiation on the 6th. God Bless

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  • Stephmoen
    Stephmoen Member Posts: 563
    edited June 2015

    is anyone on antidepressants I think I'm hitting that point Xanax just isn't working :(

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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited June 2015

    Xanax actually can cause depression. It's an anti anxiety med but a known SE is depression and memory loss. I still take a similar drug, clonazepam but watch myself. Chemo has made me more anxious than cancer has made me depressed. Choices choices.

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  • Rpayton
    Rpayton Member Posts: 235
    edited June 2015

    Stephmoen: Definitely! Talk with your MO asap. I have taken a low dose of Zoloft for 10yrs when I started perimenopause symptoms at 40 and have always had premenstrual dysphoric disorder too. It has been a lifesaver to help with anxiety and overall down feeling. I know with cancer many of the Drs prefer effexor and I have heard many good things about that too. Good for you and a pat on the back for realizing your symptoms. I am a strong advocate and certified for mental health first aid and mental health awareness. We have a long way to go for help for so many. It is not a sign of weakness!!! It is your strength to recognize your own needs. There are so many factors and chemical components in our brain receptors out of our control due to the diagnosis, the meds we are taking, the huge life change, etc.etc. etc. No one needs to suffer with those symptoms there are many, many effective meds now. Have the talk with your MO. Smile you are awesome to ask and start the discussion. I'm thinking of you.

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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited June 2015

    RPayton wonderful post. Agree in full. Everybody also be careful if you end up on Tamox there are some anti-Ds that don't play nicely. Wellbutrin is one. I'm pretty sure. There is a list. I don't have s link but Fiwndog posted one in April Surgery thread. Somewhere ....

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  • sheshe3
    sheshe3 Member Posts: 70
    edited June 2015

    Steph, I was totally blindsided when I was told I would be doing perjeta as well as herceptin for the remainder of my year. I suppose any of it is optional, and goodness knows I would like to refuse it, but I'm just going on the assumption that the docs know what they're doing and hoping it's for the best outcome I can get. After two rounds with bc, I would like to be done for good!

    Andrea, that is one beautiful baby! I know you must be bursting with pride!

    Lynne, have a wonderful trip! Maine is a dream of mine, living at the uttermost corner of the country (san Diego) Feel good and pamper yourself!

    Re: drinking- I just had my first drink since this whole cancer thing started. My dh and I went to Old Town San Diego (very Mexican themed) and had Mexican food and a margaritas for lunch in celebration of my path report. It was heavenly!!!

    Copperlisa, congrats on finishing chemo. Wish you the best!

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited June 2015

    Stephmoen, definitely talk to MO.

    Copperlisa, good luck to you.

    Sunshine, I take GNC L Glutamine powder

    Scarlett, you can probably do the drive. Just stop partway for a break.

    Lynne, have a fabulous trip !!

    Andrea, what a beautiful baby !!!!



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  • Jackbirdie
    Jackbirdie Member Posts: 4,693
    edited June 2015

    Sheshe- you won't believe it but when I was in my 20s I worked at that outdoor patio Mexican restaurant Casa de Pico. I don't know if it is still there, inside the Bazaar del Mundo. How funny. They used to sell some big Maggie's there. Up to 37 ounces. I could carry 3 on a tray, with one balanced on the top of the three, so actually four on the tray, and one in my right hand.

    I tripped on a cobblestone and spilled all 37 x 5 ( I can't do the math sorry, chemo brain) on a lady wearing an all white outfit! And they were strawberry margaritas! I'm sure she put a hex on me for that!

    Finally, at long last, I realize what I did to myself to get breast cancer. A witch!

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  • sheshe3
    sheshe3 Member Posts: 70
    edited June 2015

    Jackbirdie that is hilarious!!! You painted a very vivid scene! I love it! Lol!!! Casa de Pico still exists, but about 10 years ago they moved to a new location in La Mesa. Are you familiar? That's in east San Diego county. Still with the excellent giant margaritas and yummy food too!

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