Starting Chemo February 2015

Anyone else experiencing swelling/fluid retention in the leg(s)? Haven't seen any mentions but also haven't been able to read every post recently. It started about 2 weeks PC (am now 5 weeks PC/last Taxol), and now my legs are beginning to really ache. I've been walking a lot more recently so I wondered if that had something to do with it, but like this evening, I've been sitting on the couch for about 4 hours with my legs up and they STILL hurt (and left leg looks like a tree trunk).

I've checked some other forums here and it seems quite common, although there's nothing particularly recent. Most people just seemed to deal with it by taking diuretics. I know I don't drink nearly enough water and am trying to address that. Just wondered if any other Taxol takers had had this.

Had my first of many port flushes done today. Nice to visit the nurses in the infusion room without having to get chemo. Also had the MyRisk panel of genetic tests done. This was a do over for me because for some reason my first MyRisk panel got cancelled. I know I'm BRCA neg, but my younger sister is stage IV and grandmother had it too.

I'm doing rads now and my white count is pretty low, 2.2. Doc showed me how great my WBC was when I was on Neulasta (counts in 40s, 50s). I asked if I could do Neulasta again now and he said it too long since last chemo to be covered. Said the low count could be from rads or from chemo still. So I have a new appreciation for Neulasta.

I other news, I have a couple little hairs trying to poke out from my eyelashes. That's very exciting. My hair is more peach-fuzzier than ever.

I've also started to experience some of that stiffness that some of you have written about here. The first few steps I take after getting up are rather painful. Please tell me that goes away soon.

Re: chemo brain- If it wasn't for the giant image of a gas tank that shows up on my dashboard screen when gas is low, I would have run out of gas while driving at least 6 times since March. For some reason I can not remember to fill up my car.

glad to know the fog will get better

Hi Darumama- Sorry to hear about your blood counts. Maybe Neulasta would help. I am glad I had Neulasta during A/C. I didn't know rads could mess with your cell counts.

yes, we have been using the port still. They have to reposition me to get it flowing but then is ok. I am just living with the neck pain and stiffness. They keep telling me that the port is fine and I can't be forming a clot since I am on daily Arixtra. Ionly have 2 more Taxol to go then I can get this port out!

The neurapathy has gotten worse though. Pain and weakness in my hands. My nails hurt like I have been digging with them. Starting to feel some numbness in my toes too. My MO reduced my Taxol by 20% last week. She said I can skip a dose but of course I worry about doing that. How is everyone else dealing with neurapathy?

My surgery is scheduled for Aug 17th a week earlier than I was planning. Exactly 4 weeks after my last chemo. So much to get done before then. Including getting my oldest moved in for her freshman year of college the day before surgery!

Hang in there everyone!

Went to a party last week and there were two other breast cancer survivors there. This is an epidemic. I run into women who have had breast cancer all the time. It is just scary.

just got the call with my pathology results.

13 lymph nodes removed, all negative of cancer

Left Breast: original 4.5cm tumor down to 0.9cm. Still high grade. Clear margins.

Right Breast fine, as expected

So not a complete response but pretty darn good.

Still have my drains. Reporting totals daily and waiting for PS to tell me I can come in to have them removed.

Then, 1 or 2 TE fills, TE exchange for implants, and radiation.

great news sugar cakes. Glad no nodes involved. That seems to be the big nemesis in my outlook.

drainage is important sugarcanes, Mine have been drained 4 times now . Think they were removed to soon, don't rush it

thanks everyone! Despite frustration of still having the drains with no obvious removal in sight, I am doing quite well. Haven't had to take pain meds in over a day now. It does feel like the TE's are moving towards my armpits. If I out my arms all the way down, I can feel them. Hoping that doesn't turn into discomfort.

Thanks Jerseygirl for giving me a better perspective on the drains

Well Sugarcakes if you have that many people in agreement it may be a good idea... Sorry you have to go through that and I hope all goes well.

Dromedary, I started Arimidex on the 8th. Of course, everyone's different, but it hasn't been bad for me so far. They had to put me on ovarian suppression to do it since I wasn't menopausal. I expected major upheaval, but so far just hot flashes and that's probably not the arimidex. The hardest part has been remembering to take the pill at the same time every day

Just bought one more surgical bra. I was never a sports bra person before and can't wait to get something with some shape. Small problems though, it's good when this is the most I can complain about. Hope the AIs are going well for you all. I am curious about those since I will probably transition at some point, though right now I'm on Tamoxifen because I'm borderline according to the blood tests. I can't wait till Winter to see if maybe these hot flashes can be put to some good use keeping me warm! (And my DH too -- he says I'm like a furnace these days.)

I had become rather complacent in my hairlessness so I was pretty shocked to find a really long hair on my chin a couple weeks ago. I had had some pesky hairs here and there before chemo and they are back with a vengeance. Oddly, my neck got very peach fuzzy too. I shaved it once and it hasn't came back. My eyebrows and lashes are coming in twice as thick as before. I hope they stay because they had been getting thin prior to BC. 7 weeks pfc and the bottom lashes seem done, tops halfway there. I look so much human now. Do the brows and lashes eventually thin out again