Going from stage 2A to stage 4

Hi Raven,

I'm so glad your cough is so much better! As to pain, while I was still on the weekly taxol my onc said for me to take only a multi vitamin, Claritin which I've taken for years, and 2 regular strength tylenol each day. No aspirin or ibuprofen etc. and no other supplements. He did prescribe tramadol but I took one tablet and no more!

After taxol was over he said to start taking calcium-magnesium-zinc, and he allowed glucosamine chondroitin which I've read about here. Since my lungs are so much better now (fingers crossed they stay that way) he said I can take tylenol pm occasionally and one aspirin or ibuprofen "once in a while". I have liver mets so I really try to take as little tylenol as possible and if I have a drink or glass of wine I don't take it at all and use ibuprofen. I also have bone mets everywhere which hurt and bad neuropathy in my hand. I'm never free from pain. I just try to knock the edge off enough to get to sleep. Mornings are better but by bedtime, I'm a mess. I think a lot of it is from letrozole.

Edited to add that I've had arthritis in my back and hips since I was in my twenties, so I don't blame all the pain on my cancer and meds.

Raven, my onc stopped my taxol after 12. He had said maybe 16 but thought I'd reached a plateau at twelve so we moved on to I/L.

Hi Raven, I stopped coughing and don't use the oxygen anymore. I am so glad about that! I still have fatigue and pain and weakness but I'm dealing with it. Usually, ha ha.

Both Ibrance and letrozole are oral meds. Ibrance is a capsule and letrozole is a very small pill. I take letrozole every single day. I take Ibrance for 21days and then skip 7 days. Is this regimen what you will be doing after chemo?

Raven-Good luck on your scans today! I hope they show it's working!

I've been stage 4 for 6 years (13 years since I was first diagnosed stage 1, it came back after 7 years, that's probably where you got the 7)

My sciatica, is much better. It only hurts a little bit. Of course I made an appointment for pain management. I am seeing a PA on Wednesday. I'd cancel it, but then it would probably act up again.

I have the neuropathy in my hands and feet too. I got it about 4 months ago, from being on Taxotere (in the same family as taxol). I asked my oncologist, how long does it take to go away, once you are off the chemo, she said it depends, she had one patient who was a bank teller, on her feet a lot, that it didn't go away for 2 years. I hope lazy me has it go away quicker. It's annoying typing with numb fingers. And walking sometimes, I catch myself almost falling.

I had never tried marijuana in my life (and I was 55 when I first got it last year), but I was sick of the side effects from the pain pills (and they didn't help much for my pain either). The first one they had me try, only had a little THC, and I felt like I was drunk (and talked like it too). It was awful and I stopped it after a week. I also wanted to be able to drive, and that wasn't going to happen. I am now on one that only had CBD and no THC, so no high. Much better. They also say that it kills cancer cells (not sure if it does by a second benefit, if it does). I don't take it daily, as the marijuana store would like. Only when the pain is bad. It's expensive ($30 for a tiny vial, that would last 2 weeks, if I took it daily). Health insurance does not cover it. My friend who has MS, and is taking it to relax her muscles, pays $250, every 2 weeks, but it's helping her, as no other drug could. Glad you could play golf again (I've never played, but my husband does, a lot).

It's good to get outside! That nat was your protein for the day!

My Mom ended up in the ER this morning. She was having a stabbing pain between her chest and belly. After a bunch of tests, it showed nothing. They wanted her to stay over and do a couple of more ones, she said no (she's 80). She is making an appointment with her gastroenterologist , to look at her upper gi. I live in the same neighborhood as her, as does my youngest sister. She called my phone at 5:30 am. I shut the ringers off on my phone in the bedroom and I don't hear the downstairs phones. I was sound asleep. She called another sister at she didn't hear her phone either. She called my youngest sister heading to work, an hour and a half away. She was halfway to work, (40 minutes away, and turned around). My mother finally called an ambulance. She was worried it was a heart attack. Those 2 sisters (the younger 2, I'm the oldest, and our other sister, number 2, is a labor and delivery nurse, but is a half hour away, and we never know when she is working) stayed with her at the hospital (it's usually me, since I don't work anymore). She was out at noontime. We had lunch together and left. She always says that I can't go before her. I tell her it's not my decision.

My mother-in-law just had a lumpectomy on Fri. We went to see her yesterday. She's doing well. She had an ice pack under her arm (her incision is on the right side, near her armpit). She only has taken 1 tylenol (that's all that was left in the bottle, she now has a full one) the first day. We played 3 games of whist (a card game) with them. I would have rather gone for a boat ride on the beautiful day we had yesterday. Oh well. She was very happy (even though my father-in-law and husband beat us 2 games) we went out for lunch and visited them. She's 85 and he's 86.

We are going to see our youngest, next weekend. It's 7 hours each way. I think I will put my seat all the way down, and take a nap.

Nice day here again today. The humidity we had all last week, finally left yesterday. I guess I should go out and enjoy it!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Lynne

Raven, I'm sorry to read of this complication. I've never had those medications but I'm sure others here will reply to you with their experiences and tips. Ask your doctor about whether you are a candidate for localized liver procedures once you have this under control. I'm with you in support as are all of us.

The liver mets board is called "How are people with liver mets doing?". I just looked on my favorites!

Lynne

Hi Raven, just my opinion and I'm not a doctor, but if you've only had one dose of the new regimen, that may not be enough time for it to show results yet. What does your oncologist say about it?

Fingers crossed that you will soon have the right combo in place soon!