Starting chemo August 2017 - would love some moral support!

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  • VL22
    VL22 Member Posts: 851
    edited October 2017

    K - so happy you have finished Chemo and are in a better place!

    The rest of us are right behind you!

    Kritti - this disease takes such a physical, mental and emotional toll on us and I don't really think anyone can understand it unless you're in it or have experienced it. I truly hope you can get to a better place with your husband

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  • Leatherette
    Leatherette Member Posts: 448
    edited October 2017

    Kritti,

    My husband and I have only had sex a couple of times since my diagnosis, and not at all since surgery. I know that physically, I don't want to, and it has absolutely nothing to do with him. And he hasn't been indicating any issue with it-I just don't think either of us cares about that right now. Part of me feels pressure by society to think it's a problem, but I know he loves me and we have too many other things to deal with right now. I hope you are able to find a place that is comfortable for both of you as you get through this.

    L





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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Breast cancer took us through so much only we can understand. I know we put a lot of stress on our family also. My husband and I have been together for long time, so we understand each other. For now, im no interest in sex except getting through chemo then get my health back. I know it is hard for younger couples so maybe therapy would help.


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  • Travel_Girl
    Travel_Girl Member Posts: 210
    edited October 2017

    KB - I am done with my 4 of 4 chemo as well. and I think due to our simillar situations -- being second time around -I thought long and hard about if I was going to do chemo as well. In fact I told my oncologist yesterday -- this is the last chemo I will ever do. A very personal choice, etc.

    So cheers to your blue wig! and celebration -- I am too tired to cry right now - as I am only hours away from leaving the chemo chair -- and right now all I can see in front of me is weeks of SE's -- everyday I will feel stronger and will hopefully jump for joy! I haven't had surgery yet - so those fears are also popping up for me right now.

    Either way - congrats fellow second timer - virtual cheers to you and me on knocking out this awesome milestone!!!!

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  • Autum1031
    Autum1031 Member Posts: 31
    edited October 2017

    Just started my first round of AC today, (after 12 weeks of Abraxane). So far, my SE have been limited to extreme tiredness after the anti-nausea drug, and some stomach gas/ooginess this evening. (No nausea or Big D just yet). I go back tomorrow for a Neulasta shot and a round of my study drug. I'm nervous about the next several days, I really really hope I don't have bad nausea.

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Hi autumn- how’s your 12 weeks of Abraxane?

    Congrats to Travel girl and KB. Now you are done with this chemo journey.

    Travel - players for your surgery. It’s so sad to have second times around.

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  • KByTheLake
    KByTheLake Member Posts: 52
    edited October 2017

    Congratulations Travel Girl! I’m starting to feel the fatigue coming but knowing that this will be the last round of SE’s makes it easier to face.

    I made an appointment today to consult with my surgeon and plastic surgeon about a mastectomy and reconstruction in the spring—I want lots of time to weigh my options. And I want to get in and see someone before the roads get snowy and icy! It’s almost a two-hour drive to the hospital and I’d rather not travel that in the wintertime. I’m looking forward to hear what’s possible

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited October 2017

    I recognize the fatigue part, I have been extremely tired this week and even last week. Now I can see what they mean when they say cumulative effect, the only thing I want to do is sleep. Since Tuesday I did not noticed the time, it has just flown by. I wake up, I eat, I check the boards and internet and then at some point I am tired again and sleep on and off, I can compete with our cat and this is a tough one. Tonight I slept for at least eight hours and went to my PT in the morning and then me and my mom went grocery shopping, by the time we got home I was concentrating on driving and carrying the bags so I will not drop anything, and yet I did, but it was only toilet paper. I had some tea and slept for the good two hours. We bought some chicken liver and just fried it in the pan with some onions for lunch, it was good, it has been long time since I ate it, now it seems I need my blood counts. I just noticed one of my eyes is swollen, more exactly the upper eyelid, probably an infection, called the clinic, waiting for them to call me. It is always something.

    My clinic wants to me to continue with my weekly Taxol, so I am scheduled for the upcoming two infusions but after the 11th they want to talk to me whether I will or not continue with an anthracycline, so I do not what I am going to do in the next two months.

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  • Willow22
    Willow22 Member Posts: 220
    edited October 2017

    Hi ladies, I've been following along and have a number of posts flagged in my email to respond to, but had to pop in to Cherry. I'm glad you are contacting your MO about your swollen eyelid. In the meantime, I suggest you do warm wet soaks to it 3-4 times per day. It may be like what I had after my last round.... started as a slightly scratchy feeling in my eye (as if there was something tiny in it), then my upper eyelid got a little swollen, and then I developed a small stye just below my upper lashes. It looked like a tiny pimple with a white/yellowish center. I thought it might have something to do with my eyelashes starting to fall out, but the RN said it was due to a blocked pore. I was worried it would get huge because I was at my lowest WBC levels and just starting the neupogan shots, but it went away in 2-3 days with the warm soaks (comfortably warm tap water on clean, soft wash cloth. Did my good eye first for a couple minutes just in case, rewarming the cloth as needed, then did my left with the stye). I think I could've prevented the stye if I had started the soaks when it first started bothering me.
    Hope it clears up soon!
    Willow
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  • KByTheLake
    KByTheLake Member Posts: 52
    edited October 2017

    Travel girl, are you in the Facebook group?

    Kare

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  • Kimberbir
    Kimberbir Member Posts: 65
    edited October 2017

    Autum1031- I too am on the abraxane I have 2 more to go befor I start the AC so anything you want to share with me about your experience would be greatly appreciated. Are you in the FB group? If not talk to Paulette she can help you join if you want.

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited October 2017

    Willow, thank you, this is what I also think it is, although I cannot see any white pimple yet, but it is definitely the eyelid because my eye is not watery, no discharge. I will try the warm socks or a pad. My clinic wanted me to see the eye clinic, they in their turn told me to go to ER but I want to avoid going there so I will wait and see.

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Cherry, beside warm sock you can massage your eyes afterwards also. Fatigue is one big problem for me on taxol. Since it is weekly my good days are days 2 then days 6 and 7, 3/7 not bad isn’t it???

    Kim - Autum is in our FB.

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  • SusanGA
    SusanGA Member Posts: 147
    edited October 2017

    finished my last CT chemo yesterday. What a ton of bricks and this is before the nastyNeulasta. D of fire with hideous abdominal pain. Still going on this AM but less.

    I got to ring the bell and I as unprepar d for my tears. Kinda of hard not to do when everyon is clapping for you and my neighbors had a big banner on my house welcoming m home. More tears. So a bittersweet experience but I am so glad that it is over and I’m looking to move on.

    Thanks for all your support. Continued prayers and best wishes for all of you

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Congrats Susan 🙌🙌🙌🙌 you made it to the end of the tunnel. I will cry when I get there. Think this is the last time you need to deal with all these SE, you will be uphill now.

    Ladies have a good weekend.

    Once again if you want to join our FB group you can PM me, K, Susan or autum. We are all in there.

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  • Kimberbir
    Kimberbir Member Posts: 65
    edited October 2017

    Congratulations SusanGA hoping its all uphill from here!!!

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  • KByTheLake
    KByTheLake Member Posts: 52
    edited October 2017

    Susan GA—congratulations! The tears really do take you by surprise, don’t they? You earned those happy tears!


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  • rdeesides
    rdeesides Member Posts: 459
    edited October 2017

    Congrats SusanGa! You can take some time to recover now and no SEs

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited October 2017

    I wonder if all if you moved to this FB group instead, it does not happen much her

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Cherry we all come here also, will not leave here

    I think most of the people are done with chemo except few of us. I’m always here.

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited October 2017

    Paulette you are right, the group was for the chemo part, I just did not think about it.

    Well, I had my Taxol today and a doctor who examined my eye prescribed a local antibiotic. I visited our eye clinic website and your advice was actually there, to gently massage the area to let it all out. Tiday it took time and I spent several hours in the hospital, also had genetic testing appointment and they did my bloodwork, so. Way in into my injection I remembered I forgot to take Zofran. It did happen before but I have two nurses and another one always asks me whether I took the pre-med, something she just does, but not this one. She is great, but I forget things right now. So I called her and she stopped the drip and got me Zofran and it took more time. In the end I felt the numbness in one of my fingers, only one and I could like show where exactly I felt it. By the time I got home I felt it in three middle fingers in both hands, it is more distinctive in both ring fingers. So now I got neuropathy, one cannot mix it with anything else. Now I don't know if I got it because I forgot to take Zofran, I also had some burning sensation in my throat during the infusion. I just hope neuropath will go away, I made it so far without it.

    Cherry

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Cherry aren’t you going to finish taxol soon? As I remember you are on #11. If you only feel a few fingers you should be fine. That’s how it started but you will be done with your taxol, you neuropathy won’t be bad. I forget things now, that calls chemo brain.

    I’m on my day 4 so it is going to be a day for me to stay home and be myself. Took a 30 minuets walk in the cold weather, I doubt I can do this anymore. Weather is getting cold now.

    Hope everyone are having a better day, will check back later.

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  • Willow22
    Willow22 Member Posts: 220
    edited October 2017
    hi Cherry, the zofran is to prevent nausea --- that medication has nothing to do with neuropathy. I read a lot about neuropathy during my chemo, and whatI read and what my MO told me, is that it is often a cumulative thing.... developing over time depending on the number of doses and how much in each one. I had no problem after chem 1 and I don't think I had any after #2, pin pricks and tingling in the bottoms of my feet (and they were really hot) plus semi-numb finger tips for about 6 days after #3 and #4. Write down exactly where you felt numb, tingly or different and how long it lasts, and talk with your doctor about it. My MO kept my taxotere dose the same since I only had one left, but I think she may have decreased my dose or increased the infusion time if I had a number of treatments left. She also asked if i was icing my hands and feet during the taxotere administration, which I had been. Hope it goes away quickly for you!
    Willow
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  • Willow22
    Willow22 Member Posts: 220
    edited October 2017

    Oops - also meant to ask if the burning in your throat has gone away.... I have some trouble with heartburn/acid reflux occasionally even before chemo, but haven't needed to take something everyday if I eat well. During chemo, I had a lot more heartburn even when making great food choices --- my MO said that wasn'[t surprising since chemo is hard on the fast growing cells that line the stomach and intestines. I started taking my over the counter acid reducer daily (Zantac/ranitidine 150mg) and that really helped, but she also said she could prescribe something stronger if I needed.

    Willow

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Willow, I have acid reflex pretty bad on few days, at first I thought I have nausea. I stepped up on my acid meds for those days then I’m fine. Regarding the neuropathy, my MO has to decrease my dosage by 10% on my number six infusion. I ice my hands and feet but I skipped couple time because I felt aslept. Also my infusion time is 3 hours long, my ice packs wouldn’t last that long. Now I ordered one more ice socks so that should last 3 hours long

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited October 2017

    Paulette, this was my 11th, you are right, and tomorrow another doctor from my clinic is going to call me to discuss whether or not I should get further chemo. I feel like I will not be able to feel good about my choice no matter which one I will opt for.

    Willow, this is exactly what I have been told about neuropathy, except that icing does not help either only stopping, taking a break or decreasing the dosage. Right now I feel numbness in six fingertips.

    Cherry

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Cherry once you make up your mind, don’t look back. Regret is something you don’t want to deal with. Keep going forward will be the best for us. You are pretty close to the finish line, are you doing radiation soon?

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  • Cherry-sw
    Cherry-sw Member Posts: 997
    edited October 2017

    Radiation will be after chemo, and then a year of Herceptin, and also Tamoxifen right after chemo.

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  • Willow22
    Willow22 Member Posts: 220
    edited October 2017

    hi cherry, my doctor referred to a study showing some benefit with icing.....its easy to do although i didnt like feeling cold for the hour. But, i wanted to do everything possible to prevent or limit neuropathy. Perhaps there will be clear consensus in the future, but for now, Im willing todo it incase it can help. I jusy used bags of ice cubes - 1 large ziplock for feet and another for hands. I wore socks and thin gloves so my skin didnt get too cold. Had the ice lasted the entire hour. I got tired of trying to keep ice on top of my finger and toe nails, so stopped doing that after #2, but have had no nail problems (i think that happens with taxol a little more than eith taxotere).

    My heart goes out to you as you struggle with the AC decision! You are so young with a very young child --- there's so much life ahead of you.... i hope your doctors are able to give statistics that will help to dexide which route is better for your situation.

    Willow

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  • PauletteK
    PauletteK Member Posts: 2,205
    edited October 2017

    Cherry, let us know what you decided , we all wish you he best.

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