Starting chemo August 2017 - would love some moral support!

Kritti, you should get it checked, it does look painful I am sorry and you feel better when they tell you it is nothing.

I will have my 4th Taxol and 2nd Herceptin injection on Monday and now I feel so tired that I just could go and sleep for hours even though I slept for ten hours at night I feel drained. I went to my appointment with psychological nurse at cancer rehabilitation center and cried a river there over this crap and my fears. She told me that I am worried over things that did not happened yet and may never happen, and how it is impairing my quality of life etc. I understand all that but it is so overwhelming, the hair are falling off, I did not dyed it for over a month and my grey hair is visible now, my face is full of pimples, I feel like I will never get to be my old self. I in some way regret that I did not considered ice capping more seriously, it will take the hair years to grow to the normal shoulder length and before I had hair to the middle of my back.

We bought a wig yesterday, a really expensive one, but only because insurance is covering 70% of the price. We paid the difference between the max amount and the price out of pocket, my husband thought that it was important because now it will be so obvious that I am sick. My youngest was fascinated with the wig, wanted to touch it and said that although one could see that it was not my hair it did not look that fake. It has my hair color and is long and wavy just like my hair used to be. My manager is coming to town next week and he wanted us to meet if I would feel good and I am going to wear it just to see how he will react.

We also went to the forest for a walk a couple of days ago, me and my mom, just walked there along the pathway, never got into the woods, the day after I found a tick that crawled under my tub sock I have over my piccline on my shoulder. The sock just came of and before I draw it back I was like: what is this and saw the tick, the place where it bite me is red, I just thought it will never end, now I got the tick bite and a possible infection threat. That it did not dye, now when my blood is full of Taxol.

Hugs to all of you, i am sorry for my rant, again.

Cherry

Hello my fellow gals,

Been a while. I had my 3rd infusions yesterday and they decided to skip the Perjeta (Pertuzumab) due to the D and they doubled my Carboplatin (Paraplatin^®) because my kidney functions are much better than before. Thanks to the steroids I have small flushing on my face and wasn't that sleepy, so I'll try Benadryl tonight. I'm also taking Claritin (Loratadine) for hopefully preventing bone pain from the Neulasta shot that I get a day after Chemo. That I start the day of chemo and for a few more days, like until Sunday, once daily. One of the nurses recommended it, which surprised me since my onco Doc doesn't recommend much of anything in the way of OTCs that aren't on the "list". I also have a little case of bilateral Edema in my lower legs to feet but my Doc is reluctant to have me take diuretics; messes with other things like potassium, etc.

I still haven't made soup yet but I plan on doing it one of these days. I want to make a big batch of chicken noodle soup with dumplings, but don't know if the leftovers will freeze well for storage.

I hope that all of you are doing well with your treatments and having less SE. Hugs to you all

VL22, of what I red it takes 24-36 hours for borrelios to be transmitted but TBE that can cause brain inflammation can be transmitted very quickly, although it is not very common. My husband and the youngest daughter are vaccinated for TBE because we are often in the forest, but not me. I am usually very careful and check myself from top to toes when I get back from the woods, but this time we only walked along the pathway while I had a feather jacket because it is getting chilly here so how it crap got under my clothe I have no idea. This one was there for at least 16 hours.

My husband is exactly the same telling me that the chances are much bigger that everything will be fine, but uncertainty is awful. And the only tool I so far learnt to employ, when I feel like I am once again falling down the rabbit hole, is to say I am not going to die today, at least today I can live without this unbearable anxiety. I will continue with therapy because this lady soothes me a bit. I cannot even attribute it to the chemo SE, I have been like this since the diagnosis.

Strength to all of us, here is the only place where I post it as is without anyone asking each other behind my back: does she need to talk about it all the time. Well, it does occupy my mind even though I am having treatment, working part time and trying to keep things done at home. Life has changed and I do not know how long it will take my mind to adjust to it.

Cherry

Craps Cherry don't cry honey, you will be fine. Many prayers and please God don't let her down.

Gals I don't know what to say, so much sadness and cris and I know we will be fine as soon as we get through this journey. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

clearpath - Does the blood test result with WBC exceeds the limit and platelets below normal after neulasta hold you back from next round chemo?

And a question for the group: does anyone have muscle pain starting from the 3rd day and lasts about 3-4 days besides bone pain? I'm on Texotere and C

paullettek - thank you! I will try the pain reliever! And good luck toyour Taxel Journey!

Cherry I wanted to send you a big hug. We here really understand the worry and fear that we have to try to keep at bay. We can do it pretty successfully most of the time but not all of the time. We need to have those good cries. I lay in bed in the wee hours (can't sleep) and sometimes my thoughts bring me to tears yet I am coping. You are as well. Just need to express the sad/scary stuff now and then.

My feet continue to tingle and burn with altered sensation up to above my ankle. I hope my Onc has a trick up his sleeve to help alleviate this. The other thing is my hair is slowly falling all over the house. Strange sad feeling.

Thank you Angie for checking in and giving us encouragement. It worked for me.

Prayers for everyone

cherry -- how's your tick bite? Hope it didn't cause infection. Also, I want to say the same as Rdeeside did: screw the book!

Thank you girls for your support and all the kind words, I always keep telling myself imagine you would not have this forum but then I just say I would have found it sooner or later because I was turning the internet upside down for information. To handle it emotionally is the worst part, physically I am just following the stream, there is a schedule to follow and this is what I am doing. But to handle all these feelings is hard and I still do not fell for taking drugs because it would feel like a failure. The therapist did also say that people in this situation are going through trauma which leads to the sense that one cannot control the situation and brain is trying to resolve this.

I neither feel like giving this book to my youngest, I would rather see the therapist again to discuss it.

The tick bite is red and a bit swollen but of what I red it will takes weeks until one can tell whether there is any sign of Lyme disease. I found it on Wednesday evening and in the morning the same day I had an appointment with my oncologist. I am sure it was there already when she was examining my breasts it is just no one needed to take a look at what is happening with my piccline. They usually take care of it once a week during the infusion.

About the side effects, I noticed this week that my nails stopped growing. I keep those short now which means I cut them every week, but now I see there is nothing much to cut, they did not grow, almost not at all. Did any of you experienced that?

I wonder whether the doctors at my clinic are too conservative. I specifically asked about Epsom salt for joint pain and the oncologist just shook his head. How could it be that so many are saying that they experience relief and the doctors do not confirm it. Now I did not experience any joint pain yet but I have nine infusions to go.

Once again, thank you all and hope the next week infusions will go smoothly for everybody.

Hugs, Cherry

Leatherette and PauletteK thanks for the tip re dry mouth - will order Nuun.

Welcome Ivy sorry you are here with us but nice to know some of use don't have much SE.

Cherry, I would also caution you on using that book with your children. Children don't really understand the nature of serious illnesses. Take diabetes for instances. Can it kill you, absolutely, but at the same time it does not mean it will kill you. Now if your kidneys started to fail and the doctors are telling you their is nothing they can do to help this from happening, time to get the book out. Breast cancer can most definitely kill people, but not all people who have breast cancer will die from it. Each case is different with different circumstances. Your prognosis is a good one. I personally would not be using that book at this time.

As far as the Lyme disease, it is a good thing you know you had a tick on you. If you start to develop symptoms and get tested and medication in a timely fashion your prognosis will be good. It is those that never knew a tick bit them and come down with symptoms, and it takes doctors many months or years to figure out what is going on before a diagnosis and/or medication is given. Many may have a worst prognosis. Just be vigilant.

Has anyone else had a little cold while on chemo? I have a slightly runny nose and an annoying cough. Feel ok otherwise and no fever. Wonder what I can take for the cough.

redeesides, I can't tell if I had some cold symptoms or it is just irritation from the smoke from all the fires. We are right in the path of so many of the fires and the hazy air has been a real irritant. For persistent cough my naturopath had shared a study on cough that used a mixture of coffee and honey that I have used in the Winter. You can mix about half a cup of honey with 1/2 oz instant coffee (I've used that instant espresso powder which I have for baking) then dissolve a tablespoon or so in some hot water and drink it a couple times a day.