Chemo in June 2015

Hi Mama Bear! I've had it too, and have been treated for thrush in my throat, twice. Do you have the magic mouth wash? It helps for awhile. So do Popsicles!

Prayers and Blessings to All!!!! I can't respond to everyone...but I'm pretty sure that I'm having all the pains that the rest of you are having....Like some of you, after treatment 1, I swore that was the end of chemo for me. Tues starts treatment # 5.....I haven't recovered from #4....# 6 and I'm done. Then Rads. My question is this: I seem to get weaker and weaker and weaker with each treatment. I'm taking Hydros for the pain - that helped me greatly in the beginning....but seems to be less effective as I go along. Basicly I havee 2 bad weeks, one better week, then the next treatment and it starts all over again. I didn't want to do the hydros..but realized I could not do the chemo without them....Everything HURTS....so, on (treatment4) (my 'good week") I try to not take the Hydros.... made it from Mon till Sat. Almost a week....but broke down today and took a pill...and will probably do so again Sun....My question is....is it common for the bone/nerve pain to stick around 2/3 weeks after chemo treatment? i'm sure that they will give me whatever pain killers i want....but I don't want any of them! I thought I could take a week off....but I hurt so bad I gave in today. Should my MO change my pain killers....to something different? But my big question is...does anyone hurt bones/muscles/nerves....ALL the time? 2 more treatments.....then on to Rads....I can see the light at the end of the tunnel....Also, the Hydros reallly destroy my digestion tract....and the constapation is VERY painful.....Lower ab sevier cramps....I hate the Hydros....is there a better pain killer out there? I've go 2 more treatments......But i'M NOT sure I can do it. Such a shame after going through 4 'dense" treatments.......Someone post some support for me. I don't want to quit;;;;but I have been in pain since June - I dont think I can do 2 more treatments!

It's been quite a while since I've posted an update! I've been trying to keep up on reading this thread and a few others, but just been very busy and kept putting off posting.

I finished chemo on Thursday the 10th!

I, like many others in June, did dose dense AC + T. I gave myself Neupogen injections on days 3-9. I feel a bit guilty because I have had a relatively easy time of it, much easier than many of you. I have been able to keep on working (housecleaning for others) part time throughout my treatment. I did have lots of side effects, but none of them were debilitating. All were more or less manageable.

I also found AC quite a bit harder than Taxol. I had no nausea with the Taxol and, other than the Neupogen injections, didn't take any other medications after the infusions. The Benedryl they gave me for pre-meds (50 mg each time) for Taxol really made me feel awful. It made my head really fuzzy and I could hardly talk. I usually had a nice nap for one to 1-1/2 hours during my 3 hour drip. Luckily, by the time the Taxol was done, the effects from the Benedryl had mostly worn off and I was ok to drive myself home (dh was in another vehicle and usually driving behind me in case I had any trouble and dd was riding shotgun). The steroids (Dexamethasone ~ 20 mg) did make it hard to sleep the first night, but it was ok because I usually had the day after treatment off.

My worst side effect, by far, was one that I've been told isn't very common for my chemo combo; hand foot syndrome. It first hit me after my 3rd AC. My hands and feet (mostly my feet on AC #3) got swollen, my palms and the soles of my feet turned red like a sunburn, and there was some tingling and quite a bit of pain. I didn't realize what the SE was at first and so for a couple of days walking was quite painful. The swelling made my shoes that are usually pretty roomy very tight. Luckily I wear slippers most of the day (at home and while working) and my feet were tolerable in slippers. Once I realized it was hand foot syndrome, I started applying lotion to my hands and feet several times per day and it got better. I also started icing my feet during AC #4 and they were much better during that cycle. My hands got hit really hard with the SE after Taxol #1 even though I used the frozen gel mittens they had at the treatment centre part of the time. The gel mitts were soooo cold that I had to take my hands out for a few minutes a couple of times at the beginning. The cold, however, only lasted about 45 minutes. During the rest of the infusion, my hands were at room temperature. It was hot outside during the drive home and I think having my hands on the hot steering wheel may have made things worse. My hands got really painful and angry red. Then after a few days, they started peeling; mostly at my calloused areas. There were a couple of iterations of peeling even though I was keeping up on the moisturizing lotion many times a day.

I made some modifications to try to keep things from getting as bad during the last 3 Taxol infusions and they must have helped because my hands and feet have been much better. I used a soft-sided, zippered, cooler bag that as just big enough to fit my feet and packed it with blue ice and zipped my feet into it during the whole infusion. I used the frozen gel mittens with some thin knit gloves under them for the first 20-30 minutes, then without the knit gloves until they were no longer cold. After that, I held a piece of blue ice (from the cooler bag) between my hands for the remainder of the treatment.

Here's me during T #2 with my whole silly looking set-up;

I also started wearing my bicycle gloves which have some padded leather in the palm area whenever I did anything that might put heat or pressure on my palms such as driving, riding my bike, vacuuming, etc. Also, I made sure to apply fresh lotion each time after getting my hands wet. It's now the end of day 3 and my hands and feet are doing good.

I seem to have had quite a bit of energy today, even though it's just a couple of days after my last treatment. I'm not sure whether it's a result of finally being done with chemo or whether the fatigue I've been feeling was mostly still residual fatigue from the AC and it's finally wearing off. I did notice less fatigue from the Taxol. Anyway, I spent the day being quite productive; I finished a batch of plum jam that I started yesterday, I spent a couple hours picking pears, I did a few loads of laundry, some dishes and general cleaning, and I made a tomato pie (thanks March chemo thread). I hope the energy continues and I get back to feeling mostly normal again soon... in time for radiation which I start on October 7th.

I wish all of you who have treatments left minimal side effects and no complications.

Yea Gk66 !!!!!!!!! Happy Dance.

Eaglemom, I couldn't keep the mitts on all the time either. NO neuropathy here and the nails still looking good. Cuticle looked awful but lotioned them down and used chapstick on the cuticles. Ice cubes in the mouth helped prevent mouth sores and lessened the "bucket mouth"

EagleMom, Thanks for the support! I too, am the mother of an Eagle Scout. It's sort of a proud thing in my family. I've just finished round 5 and Round 6 in Oct. Then, like you, Rads.

Yep - been tough. Can't wait to get my energy back! You look so thin! I've gained 20 lbs - I've never weighed 130 before! But, I live off ice-cream and yogurt, maybe apples. It's gotta be real cold, or I can't eat it. And smoothies! Thank the good Lord for smoothies!

Congrats for your sucess! Continued Blessings and good thoughts for you and all here!

December

Congrats AGerl! You did it! xo

Tresjoli, Herceptin is weekly x 18 weeks at 2mg/kg then the 19th week it goes to every 3 weeks at 6mg/kg to finish out the 52 weeks. That is one of the protocols.

Hello All ! Haven't posted in awhile but I have been reading everyones updates. Congrats to the ladies who are done and sending postive vibes to the ladies still going through it. Finished my last treatment last Tuesday and only 2 more injections of Neuprogen left ! I also have to get Herceptin every 3 weeks but at least no more SE's !! Meet with the surgeon this Wednesday to schedule my mastectomy ( as long as Chemo did its job). Ready for step 2 and thanks to all you amazing ladies for sharing.

Looking forward to my last DD Taxol on Monday. Last time they reduced my dose by 20% as I mentioned I had had some tingliness in a couple of my fingers. My MO mentioned that if it got worse they would cancel my last treatment for fear of permanent neuropathy. Thankfully it's been about the same or less. I really want to get all the treatments. I meet with a plastic surgeon on Friday to discuss options and then expect surgery early to mid-November.

congratulations Scrunch, doing a happy dance for you. Hope the last round is with minimal fast fading s/e. Beautiful view.

It is hard to explain about the never ending g treatments, sorry for that.

Last chemo was on Monday!!!! Yay! I'm feeling great. Taxol has been a bit rougher than A/C due to muscle pain on days 4 and 5 but nothing unmanageable. I had some tingliness in my fingers but that seems to have gone away.

I celebrated with my mom and sister yesterday with a great girls' day.

I meet with the breast surgeon on 10/15 and will be working on scheduling bmx and reconstruction.

hi all

december if the scan changes nothing immediately i would wait till rads were done.

Well i had the euphoria of finishing chemo on sept 14, but the side effects have been gruelling , like eagle mom i have hand foot syndrome, but mostly in my left foot. since i have done neulasta and taxol together it is hard to know which caused which, just one big yuck.

??? so side effects can go on for weeks, but i never asked my MO when and how long the chemo is actually healing me , not sides effecting me, i found an article that said chemo starts working as soon as it enters the vein, but nothing on how long it is actually active on cancer cells. i was told by one nurse that it leaves the system after 2-3 days. is the 21 day cycle for white blood recovery and side effect recovery only ? or is the chemo is doing its positive job [killing the cancer cells] for the entire 21 days ??

hugs and fast hair growth to all

TheyCallMe, DayLilly - thanks for the support! It's been tough for us all! Yes, I'll wait on the scan for the lump under my arm, since the treatment won't change. Not that I am happy about the lump under your arm DayLilly - but it's comforting to know it happens!

Blessings to all!

good shirt bootay, and you look great for having chemo !

the surgery sister groups on here are great, i recommend a recliner, ready to eat home made frozen food for during recovery, and full control of the remote control lol

kickin...LOVE the tshirt! You should sell them, I'd buy one. Best of luck tomorrow. If someone MADE me pick, I'd say chemo was worst than the DMX, so hoping you find that's true with your lumpectomy. I go in tomorrow for exchange surgery. Good luck to us! Positive vibes sent your way!