Starting Chemo September 2015; join us!

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  • aggiemegs
    aggiemegs Member Posts: 146
    edited October 2015

    Anyone had issues with being dizzy? I'm insanely dizzy today for some reason...so much so that I had to stop making breakfast and sit down for a few. Decided to check BP and it's 95/58. Waiting for MO office to open in 15 min and I will call....

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  • Minnesota_LisaFR
    Minnesota_LisaFR Member Posts: 316
    edited October 2015

    Aggie - Not a doc, but that's a very low BP. Be careful and get MO advice; last thing you need is a fall. xoxo

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  • aggiemegs
    aggiemegs Member Posts: 146
    edited October 2015

    Yeah, I left my bacon uncooked on the stove...it's torturing me now, but I didn't want to fall and burn the darn house down around me! Sitting in the recliner with my feet up now, sigh. So hungry

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  • Scotland219312
    Scotland219312 Member Posts: 237
    edited October 2015

    Exercise Guru: AC is typically given for 4 rounds, either every two weeks (dose dense) or every 3 weeks. Taxol is given either for 4 rounds every two weeks (dose dense) or weekly for 12 weeks. I'm on dose dense for both. While it doesn't give me a lot of recovery time between rounds, it doesn't give the cancer cells much either.

    Grey, I'm glad you checked in! A lot of us lost our hair a few days after round 2. My cousin is in chemo for a different cancer and had massive chest pain/pressure. It ended up being muscle spasms, which a medicine took care of. I hope yours is also easily resolved.

    Annie, if we get any weirder of harder to relate to, we'll have no one left to talk to but each other. Is this why all of those "starting chemo in 2013" threads are still active?

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  • edwsmom
    edwsmom Member Posts: 346
    edited October 2015

    I was supposed to have an appointment for a second opinion with a breast surgeon this morning. Totally spaced and forgot about it. UGH. :( Very frustrating considering how long it took me to get the appointment.

    My head feels a bit better today. I had my husband buzz it again last night. It had definitely grown since he did it the first time. I think I need to do more to take care of the skin on my head to prevent it from being so itchy and sore. It feels better today, but I kept putting aloe and coconut oil on it yesterday and kept tight things off my head, which helped.

    Starting chemo week and dreading Thursday already. :(

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  • mom2boo_and_buzz
    mom2boo_and_buzz Member Posts: 149
    edited October 2015

    had round 3 of tchp last Wednesday and have basically been asleep since Friday night. Exhaustion like I've never known before. I'm hoping it's better today, I have 3 hours of driving to do to get the kids to and from school.

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  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 2,753
    edited October 2015

    For itchy uncomfortable head, rub coconut oil on it. I have seb dermatitis and deal with itchy face skin. Coconut oil always soothed it enough to where it was bearable. Don't use the refined type.

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  • DLcygnet
    DLcygnet Member Posts: 155
    edited October 2015

    Exercise_Guru: I've only noticed 1 day of fatigue while on AC. It usually shows up on day 5 (after all the steroids have worn off). Nausea, constipation, and mouth ickyness generally wears off for me by the middle of the cycle (if I keep up with the high water intake, baking soda mouth swishing & laxatives) and I get to enjoy a relatively symptom free week. The more I move, the more energy I have and the less the chemo fog has ahold of me.

    In other news, the visit to the principal's office wasn't too bad. Love my Oncologist. She sent me home with some magic mouthwash, more laxatives, and orders for prilosec for the rest of the treatment. The prilosec is wonderful. The antibiotics for the UTI... also constipating. EVERYTHING IS CONSPIRING TO KEEP MY FISSURE FROM HEALING. Oh! And the antibiotics can't be taken with antacids... anything with calcium or magnesium in it. Prilosec active ingredient: omeprisole magnesium. Tums... calcium. Milk of Magnesia... nuff said. AAGH! *munches on prunes*

    Also, the answer to food you were all waiting for: I asked my Oncologist why there were so many different instructions for food restrictions (i.e. None vs. No raw stuff). Her answer:

    Not all oncologists specialize in breasts. Often we treat patients with bone marrow transplants and sometimes get in a rut giving people instructions during treatment. Cooked meats/vegetables & peel fruits is standard fare for anybody who spends a lot of time in Neutropenia. With the Neulasta shot you'll have maybe 1 day out of the cycle (Day 4 or 5 for me) where your count dips low.

    Obviously age and response to chemotherapy will vary from person to person. Additionally, there are certainly foods that will cause your side effects to be more painful/obnoxious (i.e. alcohol or sugar) if you eat them at the wrong time. But nothing is off limits if you're not in danger of infection; additionally, the FDA and assorted health departments work very hard to make sure stores and restaurants aren't selling dangerous food.

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  • Aga
    Aga Member Posts: 80
    edited October 2015

    Wow all of you are doing round 3 ! Due to my crazy Benadryl reaction it's round 2 for me tomorrow. I'm one behind you guys. Sigh

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  • mom2boo_and_buzz
    mom2boo_and_buzz Member Posts: 149
    edited October 2015

    Southern, I think that is why I've never worn my wig. It's still in the 80's and 90's here so all I can manage are thin scarves on my head. Even baseball caps make me feel like I have blinders on. I never buzzed my head just went really short and it hasn't hurt since the initial massive falling out. I still have some, not sure if any has grown back but I feel like I need to cut what is there. I feel like Linus :)

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  • DLcygnet
    DLcygnet Member Posts: 155
    edited October 2015

    Wednesday... round 4. Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUN.

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  • El_Tigre
    El_Tigre Member Posts: 520
    edited October 2015

    good vibes for your round 4 DLcygnet!

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  • twiggyOR
    twiggyOR Member Posts: 270
    edited October 2015

    i keep reading comments about sugar. What is the info on this? I haven't been told anything about it.

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  • AnnieB43
    AnnieB43 Member Posts: 724
    edited October 2015

    Hey this thing just ate my post! Anyway....2 more hours I think. Cytaxon is burning my nose so they slowed it way down.

    Cancer (some kinds) feeds on fructose, not just any sugar but fructose.

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  • tessu
    tessu Member Posts: 1,564
    edited October 2015

    ice cream ... chocolate ice cream.....

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  • AnnieB43
    AnnieB43 Member Posts: 724
    edited October 2015

    the only foods I seem to taste are ice cream and mexican food. It's wierd.

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  • Aga
    Aga Member Posts: 80
    edited October 2015

    Southern - thanks. Yes I asked my MO same thing, if I should change my diet. And they looked at me if I was crazy. 

    Annie- so does cancer only feed in fructose? What about dextrose? 

    Has anyone changed their diet? Avoiding sugar ? Or just cut some of it out? 


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  • mom2boo_and_buzz
    mom2boo_and_buzz Member Posts: 149
    edited October 2015

    annie I'm only tasting sweet and spicy now too. I can't taste anything salty, it's weird. I'll try food that I know is salty and it's just flat. My go to is a chocolate protein shake with peanut butter and vanilla and cinnamon.

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  • Minnesota_LisaFR
    Minnesota_LisaFR Member Posts: 316
    edited October 2015

    I was on a strict, low-carbohydrate, ZERO-sugar diet for at least a year before my diagnosis. We're talking no commercial salad dressing, no BBQ sauce, no ketchup, nothing with even a tiny amount of added. (I was doing this to diet, not to avoid cancer.) So much for that theory!

    Here's what the Mayo Clinic says: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/canc...

    Agree with the docs: eat what you can eat. Keep your body alive. Survive.

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  • El_Tigre
    El_Tigre Member Posts: 520
    edited October 2015

    Aga - I have only tracked my blood results for Glucose. I have not avoided sugar only added sugar. I only started tracking my blood test results in order to improve my levels of RBC then looked and tweaked my diet to maintain or improve my other deficiencies. Although I have read sugar, alcohol and depending on your ER status soy can help cancer along but who knows.

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  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 2,753
    edited October 2015

    Back from iron infusion 1 of 3. Man I love that infusion center. Never thought I'd be saying that about an infusion center where unpleasant things go on. All rooms have the view of the plant atrium and a view into the cardiopulmonary rehab center which you get to watch people go at it on the exercise machines. No jocks to be seen there but some real go getters!

    Tammy a lead RN took my vitals. My heart rate was way too low. She asked me if I started a med and I said no. Took it again and it came back up some. Only thing she could think of was I must be extremely calm, which is true. I'm not one to get anxious much if at all if I'm told what's going to happen.

    I had slathered on the elma cream not rubbing it in, just globbing it over my port. Then I put a piece of saran plastic over it so it wouldn't get on my shirt. She wiped it off and it worked like a charm. I didn't feel a thing. She had to tell me when the needle was in. Perfect. The liquid iron looks similar to the color of blood, more like orangish red. Time for it to infuse is an hour which is what I guessed from having done IV abx myself.

    This place is like a cafe. I got asked a lot what I wanted to drink and eat. I wound up choosing cranberry juice, orange juice and a lite breakfast platter of fresh cut fruit (pineapple, melon, strawberries), fruit yogurt with granola and a blueberry muffin. I didn't eat breakfast so this was perfect!

    They check on you every once in awhile to make sure you are comfortable and don't want anything further to eat or drink. Tammy, the RN with me today, is a Young & Restless fan too so she'd stop by to watch it with me when she had a moment (each room has tvs too).

    All of this made for a very pleasant experience. I have so much love for nurses now, and well medical providers who not only are great at their jobs but have great bedside manner. I'm very blessed that every single one of mine have been the best in all areas. It makes going through this ordeal so much easier when you have such supportive and caring medical personnel working your case.

    They were kind enough to work me in tomorrow at 8 am for infusion #2 so I can attend the mass for Maria at 10:00. I got very lucky in that the ultrasound dept where I'm to get my pelvis imaged had a cancellation for Wed am so I took it and am now able to attend the burial that follows the mass. God wants me to be there because it's jammed packed and this was it until Nov 14 if I wasn't going to keep tomorrow at 2:30.

    Time for an hour nap before I go to the chapel to help set up for tonight's service. Ironically enough iron makes you fatigued, which I feel now. Also there's a slight flush I'm not enjoying either... Definitely time for a power nap before I change and leave for the service!

    As for diet, MO wants me to eat anything I can during chemo. The what to eat/not to eat is for after chemo. Of course I'm not going to go crazy on red meat and sugar but if that's all that I want to eat at that time then it's a go for me.

    Hope you all have good week with the least amount of side effects. I think I'm back on for next Tues to start but who knows. MO is out till Thurs. Mon I'm getting fill #2 in my tissue expanders so Tues would be the start if I'm finally cleared.

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  • AnnieB43
    AnnieB43 Member Posts: 724
    edited October 2015

    I remembered halfway through infusion that I completely forgot to take all the meds last night and this morning. Brain dead. Now I'll suffer tonight until I get a head of it. Geez I need a personal assistant!

    Dextrose...I don't think so. It's fructose as in high fructose corn syrup and fruit and veg. Although the vitamins in fruit and veg offset the fructose intake though if I'm remembering correctly.

    On my way home now. Flop sweat, bloated gut, tired. But 3 down 1 more left!!!

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  • octogirl
    octogirl Member Posts: 2,804
    edited October 2015

    Hi all and sending hugs to all of you!

    i've had a lot going on so haven't checked in much...the good news is that overall i've had an easier time this round (Round Three) as opposed to Round Two. I think I was also fighting some virus Round Two that made stuff harder. The bad news is that my taste buds have totally gone haywire and everything tastes disgusting! In the grand scheme of things, though I guess that isn't much to complain about....Wish I could find something, ANYTHING, that tastes appealing this round. Beyond scrambled eggs I haven't found anything that really tastes decent...

    I had to participate in a work event this weekend. A whole weekend of being around people made me a bit less self conscious about the hats and scarves.

    xoxo

    Octogirl


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  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 2,753
    edited October 2015

    There was also a speel in the news about red meat and processed meat and cancer.

    http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/10/26/who-sa...

    For causes and dietary treatments of cancer, you look to sugar. Studies show cancer seems to divide mostly when given glucose and IGF1.

    Ask yourself why do people with type 1 diabetes have low risk for breast cancer, but type 2 have extremely high risk? There's a pathway forward there. And it's not just breast cancer, T1D don't tend to get most cancers at the rate of healthy adults.

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  • luzeelu
    luzeelu Member Posts: 101
    edited October 2015

    Back from my first dose (of 12) of Taxol. It all seemed to go well although my blood pressure was up today. Not sure why.

    I'm still very tired but I think that's a lingering effect from the 4th dose of AC. I've been very tired for a while now and haven't bounced back as well as I did after the first one. I guess it could also be the Benadryl they gave me prior to the Taxol. They also gave me the Dex steroid first so who knows? I had no reaction to the Taxol so I guess that's a good thing. Managed a short nap when I got home and sure do hope I can sleep well tonight. The doc said I would be more tired on Thursday but other than that, no special SEs to expect. I sure do hope that's the case. I'm nostly nervous about the neuropathy potential but supposedly that's more rare with the lower weekly dose.

    I really, really want my runny eyes to go away!

    Annie & Southern... LOVE your fun graphics! We need all the humor we can get.

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  • Flower68
    Flower68 Member Posts: 147
    edited October 2015

    Hello September ladies

    Had my third infusion on Friday, it was fine, more nausea and they are pumping me with anti-nausea meds for the next two days before work so I can keep on working.

    Good luck everyone going this weeks for Mambo no 3, Southern and Twiggy and the rest of you ladies.

    Thinking of all of you and wish you strength.

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  • AnnieB43
    AnnieB43 Member Posts: 724
    edited October 2015

    Nuelasta tomorrow and a gyno appointment. I bet Bruce Jenner never has to do that!!!

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  • DLcygnet
    DLcygnet Member Posts: 155
    edited October 2015

    Luzeelu, it's definitely the Benadryl. That stuff will knock you on your butt. And they promised me copious amounts for my first Taxol infusion. It sucks being that person who has a reaction to the chemo (sorry Annie!!!).

    image

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  • AnnieB43
    AnnieB43 Member Posts: 724
    edited October 2015

    I'm handling the Adriamycin pretty well buy damn those steroids!!! *shakes fist in the air*

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  • Minnesota_LisaFR
    Minnesota_LisaFR Member Posts: 316
    edited October 2015

    Arista - Your good experiences make me smile.

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