April 2017 Chemo

Hi All - Sounds like everyone is plugging along which is great news! It sounds like the Taxol is an easier path than the AC for most of you - yay! I know another drug brings new problems, but knowing what to expects helps a little. I have my 3rd TC tomorrow. I am dreading it of course, but it does bring me one more treatment closer to the end. I have one more after this, and then onto radiation. I have a full blown cold, but it looks like others were able to proceed. I am going to show up tomorrow and hopefully they will let me just plow through. Is anyone else anemic? I am just below normal so they are not intervening yet, but they feel it will get worse. I am tired! Thinking of you all and sending you positive energy!

TWG - I first read about icing on this web site from member/NATSGSG here: NATSGSG Journey with BC She talked about items you can buy from Amazon to ice hands and feet (NatraCure Cold Therapy Socks, Hot and Cold Therapy Gel Gloves) but said they were expensive so she did her own arrangement with blue ice, tubs, and water

I then found an article from Sloan Kettering about icing during Taxol Sloan Kettering

I bought the cold therapy socks from Amazon. I have 2 of the socks (one for each foot) and 2 extra sets of ice packs for them (for total of 3). An blue gel ice pack fits in the sock along the bottom of your foot and a smaller gel pack fits on top of feet and nails. I put these one about 15 mins before Taxol and hubby changes out the ice packs about every 20 mins.

For my first Taxol, I brought a tub and lots of blue ice (and food safe gloves to cover hands) to kind of follow NATSGSG's suggestion but once at fusion center found the rim of my tub was too tall and it was awkward to get my hands in the cold water. Fortunately, as a chemo gift from my daughter, I had received a 6 pack of Stasher Reusable Silicone Food Bags. They are like silicone zip lock bags We filled 4 of them with ice from the fusion center and placed two of them flat on the table in front of me. I then put my hands in 2 food safe gloves then placed the other 2 bags on top of my hands so it was like sandwiched between ice packs. This worked really well. Just make sure the bags are really sealed so you don't leak water as ice melts. I did bring 2 towels so I was ready to clean up any leaks. This time, I am leaving the tub and blue ice at home and going to do the Stasher bags. I iced much longer than the 15 mins before Taxol, during Taxol, and 15 mins after as I was trying to figure out what I was doing. As the ice melted, I hit a brief time period where the water/ice was super cold and had to pull my hands out for a few mins.....so today, won't ice all that extra time to see if that corrects the COLD issue, will change ice as water melts to keep the water/ice mixture to more just ice, and I am bringing washcloths to lay over top the Stasher if it starts feeling too cold so I can keep my hands there longer. Will see what seems to work better today and keep implementing changes for the next 11 treatments. Maybe by week 12, I will have it just like I like it!

Edited - found during Taxol 2 that having a wash cloth on top of the Stasher bags set on the table helped me make it through the hour of icing without too much cold pain. I think I took my hand off the ice once because it was too cold.

at my fusion center for Taxol #2.

They were able to draw blood using my port today!!! Maybe having weekly chemo will keep it working? Sure hope so.

Waiting for blood work to be completed.

Taxol #2 done. Am home drinking water!!

BJI - glad they got your port working! What you described is the trouble I was having. The port works fine for fluid pushes but they had trouble with a blood draw. Couldn't get blood from port. And apparently, when you are given AC, they require a blood pull not just a fluid push. So for 2 AC treatments, they had to stick me for blood test. And then use actavase to open the port so it woul draw blood. This last Taxol worked!! Hoping to keep up with this luck with weekly treatments. Maybe that I should going to be what keeps port open!

Hope you continue SE free!!!

I had number four chemo and got the Neulasta onboard for the first time since my insurance finally approved it. Having the usual side effect of my painful knee joints, which happens every chemo. For the Neulasta side effects, the oncologist is having me take 800 motrin three times a day, one Pepcid two times a day and one Claritin once a day. So far so good.

I saw my oncologist and breast surgeon last week. After bracing for a mastectomy, now I am told I will only need a partial mastectomy which I think is the same thing as a lumpectomy? Instead of 11 inches, my tumor is around 5 inches now. The pitting and breast edema is also improving. It's hard for me to tell, but the two doctors both said it was improving.

From some of the health descriptions, it looks like some of you have already had a lumpectomy. For those who have already had a lumpectomy surgery, I think that's what I will have in a few weeks, maybe the first week of August. So I have a question. What fills up the space where the flesh is taken out for the lumpectomy? Does scar tissue just grow there? Does it look normal when it heals?

I'm really worried about all the lymph nodes they will take out. Do lymph nodes grow back? The breast surgeon says I am at high risk for lymphedema and all the things to do to prevent it just seem so much. I really don't even want to go to physical therapy for it.

Hello, my fellow warriors. I made a video making fun of myself of sorts. Hope this can brighten my sisters even a tad bit.

Mimi

Momojcbc,

Glad you survived Taxol #1. I think Taxol is worse than AC for me. And blood work is very important. Chances are both kidney and liver functions will go down quite a bit. I found out my liver functions are on a higher side. Started eating roasted brussels sprout and avocado daily.

About surgery decisions, I was told by my surgeon #1 (I had 3 diff consultations) If one side is bad, there is a high likelihood the other side will go bad in the near future. Radical and modified BMX were right choices for me. Especially after the fact that my so good side was changed to IDC from DCIS. I personally could not and won't take any knife anywhere near or around my chest. I have not shed a single tear looking at my scars.

If my estimate is right, your surgery may be around Sep, Ask around what other women did. Ask yourself over and over again. It is your choice and your body.

please take care.

Mimi

My BS was okay with a lumpectomy or BMX, or lumpectomy with breast reduction (I was a G cup). He thought a MX wasn't advised, and I agreed. I'm 66, and didn't want to go thru this again, so decided on a BMX. He said recurrence risk was the same. It also probably eliminated radiation, which made reconstruction easier and more likely to succeed. Chemo wasn't indicated at first, but my surgery labs changed my diagnosis from IDC to ILC, and my OncotypeDx was 24, so here I am, just now finished with chemo #2 of 4.

I don't regret the BMX decision at all, and the tissue expanders haven't been a problem

i have been singing my two more visit to my onco song a couple of days now.

Made next wks pill box containing 100 plus plus pills spread over 28 slots this morning. I get nervous about chemo still. It may have something to do w the fact FDA trying to put a reign on opoid manufactures. I dearly need opiod in ordrr to survive the last two. I was abke to stretch one wk prescribed my cheap and mean onco to two wks. So DD TAxol #7 for this Tuesday is fully covered. I will still ask for a refill on Tuesday.

Two more trips to my onco two more pricks to my port... and eight more bad days then I'll be deported i cannot wait at all.

Mimi

thank you Annbee

Mimi

utjoy- may this shingles outbreak be over with quickly.

You mentioned a sunburn like rash on your hands. I have something like that on my hands that seems to settle between my fingers. Skin turns bright red and is sore like a sunburn. I have been rubbing fractionated coconut oil on it as it seems like it could dry out and crack. And with Taxol 1, I had to wear fingerless gloves to protect the skin between my fingers. MO didn't think it was Taxol related. Wonder if it's a SE of premeds?

You have 3 more DD Taxol to go. You can do this. Look how far you have come already!! You can see the chemo finish line.

Keep posting how you are doing. Keeping you in my prayers along with the rest of us on this journey

Dodgersgirl- I am taking a multivitamin with the B's. Nothing else. My nails are short and living in Florida maybe it is the sun. My feet are fine with out symptoms. I am going to try your suggestions, maybe I am not doing enough. Thank you! It is really a really weird feeling. I don't like it.

StaceyB: thank you for your post. It looks like physical therapy might help a lot so I need to change my attitude about it. I believe I will save the nipple. My tumor is in the tail of my breast, so my armpit is basically where the tumor and nodes will be cut out. I have to get new scans, like a breast MRI, closer to the surgery and then I will know for sure. I don't know how much of my breast will be affected but whatever it is, I'll deal with it I guess.

Thank you for other who have posted about their surgery.