Starting Chemo in October 2015

I have chemo on Thurs, Just did #5 this week. I am only getting Taxol weekly with Herceptine every 3rd week which I guess explains why I am not having much in side effects. I am having the fatigue factor however. It is about the same type of fatigue I had with a RA flare but more predictable. Pretty much Sat. for sure.

Petula - I'm also on a Tuesday chemo schedule (though going to Monday next round, and maybe 3 days early to Friday for the one after that trying to salvage an international vacation). Days 3-6 were the worst round one mostly due to Neulasta. I swear the Neulasta was trying to kill me!

I didn't get Neulasta this week/round 2 (because of hives, itching and difficulty breathing 2 weeks after it last time) and I am worried about it. Yesterday and today feeling icky (headache, tired, bad taste in my mouth) but not nearly as bad as last round. Ran 6 miles yesterday and just hiked for 3 hours (8-9 miles) today. Felt very crappy before the hike, but I know to push myself into it because exercise always makes me feel better. Expecting major fatigue to hit soon when my blood cells are gone on days 7-10ish without Neulasta.

Really bad sleep this round - meaning almost no sleep and the few minutes I get are bad dreams. I slept great round 1. They doubled my steroids this round so likely the reason why.

Keep fighting everyone! Keep kicking ass!

Xoxo

I've been lurking a bit lately, trying to enjoy feeling mostly OK since TCH-P treatment #2 on Tuesday. But today the big D hit...I've been dreading it since it was so horrible and unmanageable last cycle, and I ended up in the hospital for 3 nights with a GI infection. I think I have some PTSD from last cycle. I'm so afraid of the diarrhea now and am worried that I won't be able to leave my house this week. I took Imodium right away and am trying some Zofran both for general queasiness and hoping that it's propensity to cause constipation may work in my favor now. Ugh...everything else has been manageable up to now, but the diarrhea scares me so much.

Hello my wonderful sisters,

Thank you each and every one for responding and offering 'light at the end of the tunnel'. I feel a teensy bit better today but no where near normal. Today is first day no anti-nausea meds although I am nauseous - about the same feeling as with the meds so this is a positive. Body aches and tongue issues persist but I'm not crying like I was the last 2 days so am greatful for any/all blessings. My Oncotype score was 35 and the chemo only reduces recurrence risk about 8%. Such a small number. Anyone have second thoughts after they started?

Wishing you all a blessed Sunday😍😍😍

I had a hard time the days leading up to infusion #2. It was hard knowing how it would make me feel and being only the second infusion of a 6 round series, I knew it was still early in the chemo journey. But just keeping in mind that I just needed to get through it helped. My surgeon was also good about trying to get me to see the positive (I had a follow-up with him the day before). My support group also had a meeting that night, so going out with them was a nice reward for another round done.

mustlovepoodles--I got a prescription for Ativan right when I was diagnosed--I knew I would need it to manage all the excruciating waiting and anxiety that came along with it. I also have Ambien, but lately I have just been taking the Ativan at night because it makes me drowsy and it helps with queasiness/nausea. I really don't love taking Ambien--not quite sure why--but the Ativan seems to work for me. I hope you get some good sleep soon...it's so hard to be sleep-deprived on top of everything else.

I only have labs the morning of infusion. I did have labs the week after my first infusion but after that it's been just the morning of.

Wednesday is infusion #3 for me. So halfway point, yay! I have a support group meeting that night and some of them might pop down during infusion to say hi. Since it's Veteran's Day DH will be busy with our kids that day. Our oldest two are going to a play date at my co-worker's house for a couple hours to give him a break. Otherwise that'd be kinda mean to leave him alone with the kids pretty much all day and night.

I have labs taken every week, whether I have a treatment or not. My MO, Dr. Goldklang, takes so much blood from me each week that I'm surprised I have any left! I made a comment to my husband the other day that I'm so tired of going to the doc's office, and even one of the male nurses said they ought to start charging me rent! But then again, look at the alternative! At least I know he hasn't forgotten who I am in between visits.

I too have had serious sleep problems for years. I am finding a combination of 5 mg. melatonin and 25 mg. of Benadryl help a lot. I insist on no steroids. I LITERLY can not sleep for 48 hrs. with a single dose. My MO encouraged me to continue my probiotics and I have had very little G.I. problems. I am having leg cramps at night.

Petula, I have had 2 rounds of AC and this time the aches and pains defintely came and went often. I developed a low 99 sonething fever each time though so I don't know if I kept getting infections and fighting them off or what.

Ladies, I have to say, today......I feel like a normal person. Seriously. It's the first time since I was diagnosed that I have felt this way. At the beginning I was dealing with morning sickness, then surgery and recovery, the recovering from the miscarriage and first round of AC.

Today, I feel like a bald normal person. Even if it's just this one day, I'll take it.

Edited to add I am on day 12 post round 2 of AC.

I'm so Happy to hear that you feel like a normal person. If I could do a cartwheel I would. 🙃 Today I went and picked up my interim wig and got to visit with 3 bc survivors. It meant so much and gave me that 'boost' I need to get on with things. When others tell you you can you believe it and when I hear that one can feel 'normal' even for a day it's music to my ears!!!

I hope things continue on a positive note home school4😃😃😃

Petula

Ladies, It is so good to read some positives this evening.

homeschool: isn't it wonderful to feel like your own self...whether it is a day or a few days, it makes you feel like you can walk on water! This past week has been so good for me and now it's time to go for round 2, tomorrow. I just think of going through it all over again and then I tell myself that it's another one under the belt and it will be half done.

ncsue927: the mouth sores and tongue burning was the worst side effect for me, I think. It hung on for a week, but the Magic Mouthwash really helped. It even extended outside the mouth to the corners of the mouth and I had to have a special cream for that.

I hadn't read on any posts about anyone dealing with any nasal discomforts? I got sores in my nose and have a couple nosebleeds a day and wondered if anyone else is experiencing this?

El Tigre, I have had the on body injector for both of my treatments. I agree, it's great. I get my treatments at University of Michigan which is a huge teaching and research hospital and they only started using them 3 months ago. I was surprised! Now, I see the commercial for the on body injector all the time on tv. They told me at the hospital that the on body injector is cheaper than doing your own shots, which I have only heard of a few people doing.

I'm usually on the September board also but I follow here also.

Biscuits, nasal side effects are very bothersome for me. My nose runs all the time but feels dry and cracked on the inside. There is blood on my tissue almost every time I wipe my nose. Once or twice a day it bleeds a little heavier but nothing major. I have tried vasoline and nasal gel in my nose but it doesn't seem to help much.

Skittlegirl, mine said 6 months after radiation also. I'm not sure I want to think about another major surgery yet! I may want a good long time of nothing before I do anything more to myself. Of course there is still a good chance I am stage 4 and that may change everything anyway. 😕