January 2016 Chemo!

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  • Smurfette26
    Smurfette26 Member Posts: 730
    edited April 2016

    Wishing everyone well as you move onto your next phase of treatment. Hugs.

  • zinny
    zinny Member Posts: 281
    edited April 2016

    Hooray Valstim and Jill and Jen!!!

    For those going on to rads - best wishes. From my experience, it was much easier than chemo, but harder in the sense that it was still a 5 minute appointment 5 days a week. Since my cancer agency is only 5 minutes away from my house, it was not a big interruption, but it is still a daily commitment.

    Our agency is pretty progressive, it seems, and is no longer banning deodorant. They do not suggest any big skin prep either, but do recommend moisturizing regularly with something with water as the first ingredient ( such as the Aveeno pump.) Every centre seems different that way…

    As for the positive attitude stuff, I usually am a positive person, but my filter isn't so good, so I tend to be pretty honest, which works for me. I appreciate people who ask how I am doing and skip the platitudes in any form.

  • Samcpa
    Samcpa Member Posts: 9
    edited April 2016

    I'm done with chemo too! Yippie... I had some dumb idea I would suddenly feel all better but of course not. I had some yucky SE from TC and neulasta. I have to give myself time to recover from all that. But think I will try a glass of wine tonight. Cathytoo I'll pretend we are toasting. I am BRCA1 so I have desided to skip radiation and jump to double mastectomy with direct implants. I am planning to wait until Aug for the surgery. So time for me to get healthier and search the boards for sisters who had direct implants. I have not posted much but I have been reading all the great comments and suggestions. Thank you ladies ...You have been a great source of information and inspiration.

  • Ivegotthis
    Ivegotthis Member Posts: 28
    edited April 2016

    DFWFLYGIRL and Cathytoo... I'll be getting drunk, too. Love your plan. My plan, to be exact: last chemo #6 is April 27. I get emotional even thinking about it. I'll give it two weeks before imbibing. Then I shall raise a glass to all my sisters: to our health!

  • LifeAloft
    LifeAloft Member Posts: 150
    edited April 2016

    Big congrats to all of you finishing up!!! It must be a huge relief!!

    I still have a ways to go, #5 of 12 Taxol/Carbo is tomorrow. This weekly stuff is kicking my butt, the worst are my Carbo weeks (every 3). Feeling a little better tonight, just in time for more tomorrow.

    I will raise my glass of imaginary good stuff and toast with you guys :)

  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited April 2016

    Ivegotthis....You and I are almost running this race neck and neck. My fifth infusion is April 27 and then one to go. Wait for me before you toast‼️ I actually getting teary eyed when I think that soon our little group will be moving on. I hope we stay in touch. You've all gotten to feel like family. image

  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 146
    edited April 2016

    JEN.....so glad you are having something festive like champagne to mark the end of this piece. I love the idea and will be doing the same soon! Good luck tomorrow!

    IVEGOTTHIS.....you, Cathytoo and I are all tracking similar on time line and "imbibing"..love it!!!

  • Valstim52
    Valstim52 Member Posts: 1,324
    edited April 2016

    I'm with you Jen, holding that glass and I'll save some for the rest!!!

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 813
    edited April 2016

    Jen, what is your next step?

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 813
    edited April 2016

    Anybody else taking l-glutamine for taxol? I'm trying to find things to mix it in to make it easier to. Get down. I'm also taking a complex B vitamin and B6 and ALA. And D3. Did I mention I hate taking pills? Ugh. It's going to be a long three months. This stuff better work (for neuropathy)

  • DFWFLYGIRL
    DFWFLYGIRL Member Posts: 146
    edited April 2016

    LoveMyVizsla--My doc told me to get the L-Glutamine powder so I ordered on Amazon and put it in Cranberry juice as he wants me to take different doses right after Taxol. Are you on pills?

  • jensgotthis
    jensgotthis Member Posts: 937
    edited April 2016

    Lovemyvizla,

    I'm excited about what comes next! (I think I've gone nuts but...). Next week I am getting rads on my bone met in the hip which will kill off that tumor and allow the bone to heal. In addition to getting rid of the cancer, the healing effect is great since right now I'm at risk for fracture because of the met. That'll be done within two weeks.

    Then unilateral Mx (maybe bilateral) on May 24,PT, then rads on the breast and armpit about a month later. I meet with the plastic surgeon next week so I'll have a sense of reconstruction soon. The summer seems like it'll be intense but hope to have a lot of this behind me by fall

  • zinny
    zinny Member Posts: 281
    edited April 2016

    lovemyvisla - I was putting it in a big glass of water, but my friend suggested a smaller volume, which works way better - i put 10-15g in 60 mLs and down it, then add a little more to swish out the remainder.

    I have not been diligent with the glutamine as I didn't have much in the way of neuropathy until this last one - but now I am feeling it more - so I will be more motivated to swallow it down. Also on B6.


  • LovesToFly
    LovesToFly Member Posts: 1,133
    edited April 2016

    sounds like a great plan Jen!


    I'm feeling good today, but I know by tomorrow not so much, especially since I've got my Neulasta shot in a little while. Oh well, I just keep telling myself it's the last time and I can get through it. I'm not much of a drinker anymore, but Passover is this weekend and I will certainly be enjoying the red wine!


    Cheers ladies!

  • buttaflydiva
    buttaflydiva Member Posts: 88
    edited April 2016

    lifealoft, I have #5 of 12 taxol treatments this week too...I was wondering if there was anybody else left that still had a little ways to go before finishing up chemo like the rest of the wonderful ladies here. I am so excited for those of you that have finished up and are moving on to the next phase. Rads kind of make me nervous, but I wont be finished and moved on to those until middle of June

  • Cathytoo
    Cathytoo Member Posts: 667
    edited April 2016

    buttaflydiva ... I have two more infusions ending May 19th, so I'll be joining you mid June for rads. Let's stick together. Guess we know what we'll be doing all summer‼️

  • JCS28
    JCS28 Member Posts: 153
    edited April 2016

    I will finish on April 27 too! But I'm trying not to be too excited on that date, because I'll still have the side effects to get through. And goodness, do I wish I could celebrate with some wine! But I had a very small glass last week (during my "good" days), and it gave me the WORST reflux I've had yet. So unfair. I'm going to have to wait a little while before celebrating with a drink.

  • Veronica31
    Veronica31 Member Posts: 97
    edited April 2016

    I just had 7 of 12 Taxol, so I'll be finishing May 23rd. Can't come soon enough!!

  • Char1110
    Char1110 Member Posts: 61
    edited April 2016

    congratulations Jill and all the ladies finishing up chemo! I will we joining you in about 2 weeks. Jill, I'm nervous too for rads. They plan to start right away a since I have done so well on chemo either the 3rd or 4th week in May 😁😁😁

    Jen, sounds like a good plan. I will be happy for you when this is behind you. I will be happy for all of us. Have a great day ladies

  • Valstim52
    Valstim52 Member Posts: 1,324
    edited April 2016

    I envy you ladies that have surgery under your belt. I will have mine sometime in may and then rads the middle of the hot summer. someone early on, said view treatment as having a baby. a good nine months out of your life and for me it will be close to that.

    The key is life afterwards.



  • Maya15
    Maya15 Member Posts: 323
    edited April 2016

    Congrats to all of you who've finished chemo!

    Valstim, I'm with you on the surgery train. Finish chemo May 12 and then surgery in June. They're telling me they won't know if I need rads until the final pathology report.

    Do any of you on neoadjuvant chemo have scans coming up? I'm booked for a breast MRI and full body PET/CT next week. I'm nervous -- this will be the first indication of whether the chemo was effective. The doctors know me as "that lady with the weird cancer that's everywhere but can't be felt", so they can't tell if it's shrunk with a clinical exam.

  • buttaflydiva
    buttaflydiva Member Posts: 88
    edited April 2016

    Sounds good Cathytoo, I guess our group will be transitioning to a rad group, which is great because we have all come so far in this journey together

  • Myraknits
    Myraknits Member Posts: 264
    edited April 2016

    Maya, I'm on #4 of 6 neoadjuvant TCHP and I'm going for an MRI last week of this month. I meet with SO in early May to determine what kind of surgery and rads in June. I have a weird invasive form too... No lumps, just thickened breast tissue but 2 weeks ago, my SO said she could tell its thinning. Very happy for any good news.

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 813
    edited April 2016

    I don't even START taxol until tomorrow. My last dose is scheduled for July 7th. I won't be done with treatments until sometime in October. :-

  • Maya15
    Maya15 Member Posts: 323
    edited April 2016

    Myraknits, yes it's good to have a bit of good news. I am somewhat hopeful because I had cancer in the nipple and that's cleared up. Saw BS couple of days ago. Because I have lots of small lumps and flakes of cancer everywhere mastectomy is the only option for me (as well as lymph nodes) and their recommendation is to do both sides. I had already made up my mind to do that anyway. I wasn't happy to hear I might not be able to have immediate reconstruction because I might need rads. That means it could take a whole year from now until I can put this behind me. Was really hoping to be done with all this by the end of 2016 (except for Herceptin which continues till March).

  • LifeAloft
    LifeAloft Member Posts: 150
    edited April 2016

    I hear ya LoveMyVizsla, it will be fall for me too, chemo until mid June, then surgery, then rads. We will get there!!! :::hugs:::

  • Milwmama
    Milwmama Member Posts: 115
    edited April 2016

    I'm a late comer to the January party. I also have my #5 of 12 Taxol tomorrow. Carbo was last week, thankfully, as it kicks my ass hard every time. Will be here until June, then get to have those tasty beverages ;)

    Just hoping the counts stay up and no more delays, but not going to be surprised if it happens again. Carbo weeks are that hard on me.

  • fightergirl711
    fightergirl711 Member Posts: 300
    edited April 2016

    LoveMyVizsla, LifeAloft, Maya, Vlastim - my last AC is May 12, then surgery (June?) then rads, so I'm right there with ya! I'll know more about surgery on 4/29. It's likely a re-excision and ALDS. Yesterday I felt like I was hit by a truck, better today, but knowing I need two more AC is just the pits.

  • zinny
    zinny Member Posts: 281
    edited April 2016

    Hooray! Last one today!!! Feet are kind of fiery - weird - and I ran out of glutamine so will be hitting the store tomorrow:)

    Good luck to all of you ladies on all the different regimes. next stop BMX and recon! Can't wait as margins were tight - clear, but with less cm than they wanted.

  • LoveMyVizsla
    LoveMyVizsla Member Posts: 813
    edited April 2016

    #1 taxol is in the books. So far, so good. I managed to stay awake through the Benadryl until sometime on the car ride home. I took 1/4 of an Ativan to sleep, but it didn't work like it normally does. Woke up at 3:45, so it's been about two hours. I'll go back to bed when my DH gets up.

    Did I tell you about the head and eye pains I've been having? MO did some testing and doesn't think it is cancer related, but is ordering an MRI to cover bases. I think I just need to see an ophthalmologist.

    TGIF

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