Starting Chemo in JAN 2007

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  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,223
    edited March 2007
    Hi gals...finally getting things together and checking in again, just in time for chemo #3 tomorrow. Really dread it as I've been feeling pretty good this week and hate what is coming. This will only put me half-way through. I'll have one more, followed by the 33 rads and then 2 more chemos to follow the rads. It looks like it's so far down the road until I'm finished with it.

    Mizsissy....hang in there. In a couple of weeks you will be back to normal. I really don't think the rads are so bad. I have a friend who finished them in January and she says that they're confining because of the every-day schedule, but really easy. Her only side-affect was fatigue and she didn't think it was nearly as bad as the chemo fatigue, so I will be going into the rads next month with a positive attitude.

    Mer...how'd the second taxol go?

    Brenda, hope you're getting along O.K. after #3. Maybe Illinois will spark into spring and the better weather will help to motivate us more and perk us up.

    Has anyone heard from Nandy or Tae lately????

    Good luck to everyone doing chemo this week or next week. We're getting closer to the end, gals.

    Rita
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2007

    Rita - I will have FEC #3 tomorrow and that's my half-way point too. I'm dreading it. I've been busy all week trying to catch up on everything around the house so my husband won't have too much to do next week.

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  • meliaanne
    meliaanne Member Posts: 682
    edited March 2007
    Question: why are some of us getting a/c and some fec?
    Melia
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2007
    Melia - My FEC is through a clinical trial comparing FEC vs. AC. According to my onc he wouldn't use FEC outside of the clinical trial for node neg women and that AC is the more standard treatment here. Apparently FEC is used more commonly in Canada and I think my FEC sisters here are all Canadian? It's appropriate for me since even though I've lived in the US most of my life I am from Canada and still have my citizenship there.

    Sorry - not a very clinical explanation was it? Hopefully someone else will have a more intelligent answer:)
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  • Aladora
    Aladora Member Posts: 42
    edited March 2007
    Quote:

    Melia - My FEC is through a clinical trial comparing FEC vs. AC. According to my onc he wouldn't use FEC outside of the clinical trial for node neg women and that AC is the more standard treatment here. Apparently FEC is used more commonly in Canada and I think my FEC sisters here are all Canadian?



    I'm on FEC and I'm Canadian. I know that FEC is more commonly used in Canada and Europe but has only recently been brought in to usage in the States.

    I'm a few days out from my 3rd and middle FEC. Hurray, half way done! I'm feeling pretty dragged out today but since my husband had to go back to work, I'm taking care of the little guy by myself. Whew, a 20 month old can be tiring! As usual, thank heavens for Dora the Explorer!

    I posted a REALLY long reply yesterday and when I went to post it, it vanished.

    So, let me think if I can remember any of it.

    I'm also a March baby, in fact, I turn 35 (ACK!) in 2 days. We are going out for dinner on Saturday, I hope I'm back to my normal self by then, I would hate to go out only to feel icky.

    Mizsissy, HUGE congrats on graduating chemo, you must feel SO amazing!

    A close friend of mine sent me a great present on Monday. She ordered a cross stitch from SubversiveCrossStitch.com

    Warning, there IS profanity used there, so if you are easily offended, don't click!

    She bought me this one:
    F*ck Cancer

    I started working on it yesterday and will post a picture when I'm done!

    Since I don't want to lose this post as well, I'll end this now and say that I hope that everyone is feeling as well as possible!

    /hugs to all
    Susan
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  • Caya
    Caya Member Posts: 971
    edited March 2007
    Hello all,

    I'm just back from chemo # 3 - FEC - I understand FEC is more commonly used here in Canada - I am Her2+, node negative (16 nodes) - my onc. has been using this chemo for about 15 years...
    so I'm halfway through my chemo - everything went well today, but I know what is coming - onc. nurse told me to take the anti-nauseant pills on a more regular basis this time for the first 3 -4 days.
    I also spoke to my onc. about the neuropathy symptoms I had this time - numbness, tingling, "jolts" all over my body - he said that my ovaries are beginning to not function, losing estrogen, so basically I am going into immediate menopause , and that some women have these symptoms because the chemo causes this. Can't give me anything for it as it is not a true neuropathy, but I am satisfied with his explanation as it does make sense. My mother was with me and she remembers having these sensations when she went off her hormone replacements a few years ago.
    Hope everyone is well, will try to log in tomorrow.
    Best to all
    Caya
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  • Lynn12
    Lynn12 Member Posts: 1,008
    edited March 2007
    Caya,

    What do you mean by 'jolts'? I had my 3rd TC last Friday and it seems that each time after my chemo, I get muscle twitches all over my body. It seems to increase each time I go. I plan on asking my onc about it. It doens't really hurt or anything but is kind of bothersome when you're trying to sleep.

    Anyone else get this?


    Lynn
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  • Caya
    Caya Member Posts: 971
    edited March 2007
    Lynn
    I can't really describe it otherwise - muscle twitches would be another good way of describing it -
    it's sort of a short electrical shock I feel in my muscles, mostly in my arms and legs - different from peripheal neuropathy which is mostly in the fingers and feet - I also get a sensation of chills, and tingling - more bothersome as you say - it doesn't affect my sleeping as I take a sleeping pill almost every night - imovane 7.5 mg. - I believe shorti in another post also said she had these sensations too - are you premenopausal - my onc. gave me the term vasomotor instability for these "menopausal" symptoms - I am also experiencing some hot flashes and night sweats as well - oh the joys-
    hope this helps
    caya
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  • Nancyab
    Nancyab Member Posts: 276
    edited March 2007

    Does anyone know what can be done for itchy watery eyes? My eyes hurt so bad, they feel like they are bruised, yet they itch too. It's weird.

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  • IowaCindy
    IowaCindy Member Posts: 341
    edited March 2007
    How crazy that y'all started discussing this. Just last night I woke several times with muscle twitches. Mostly in my legs but I felt them throughout my body, even on my head a couple of times. It was bizarre. During the day I had noticed that there were times of some mild twitches and weakness.

    It didn't feel like what I think neuropathy would be like. I hadn't considered it might be the start of chemopause. My last cycle was the week of January 22.

    I have lab tomorrow. I'll have to ask the nurse about this.

    I have to find out about my abdominal scan results, too. I had a scan on Tuesday. I've had some abnormal liver enzymes and a tender spot right below my ribs. They should be able to get someone to give me my results.
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  • Primel
    Primel Member Posts: 731
    edited March 2007
    Susan, if you do not want to lose your text, copy it regularly to the clipboard as you write (select/highlight the entire text and do ctrl+C), then if the page has expired, just do ctrl+V, and voila... you may miss some, but I learnt the hard way, too, like a lot of us on this site, and now I am not wasting all that precious time... good luck,
    CatherineH
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  • mer1957
    mer1957 Member Posts: 534
    edited March 2007

    I'm coming out of the Bendryl fog and feeling ok. Taking 800 mg Motrin to prevent the leg pain and hope it will work. I will go for my Neulasta shot tom and it will probably hit me Sat. My onc physicians assistant agrees, exercise helps with the Taxol and leg pain. It has been documented (why don't they tell you that before your first tx?) So I'll keep on keeping on. Hang in there girls.

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  • jonimb
    jonimb Member Posts: 900
    edited March 2007
    Hello all:

    Day 3 after Chemo #4, and I am having problems. I have really bad pains along my mastectomy lines. Also, I'm not sleeeping at all, even with Ativan.

    I keep getting hot flushes, and then I get the chills, does anybody else get this? Oh, and my face gets really flushed and red. I feel kind of loopy today. I did get out for a walk, but it was so windy, I had to cut it back a bit.

    Also, I have white lines running across my fingernails. 3 Lines, I guess for each chemo I will get a line, but my fingernails do grow really fast.

    I have those funny twitches too, and just feel odd.

    I have found that the Eye Gel Natural Tears is really helping my itchy watery eyes, but I also think that part of the problem is my eyelashes are almost all gone.

    Oh...hopefully tomorrow is a better day. Hugs to you all.

    Does anyone have any good ideas on the hot flashes??

    Joni
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited March 2007
    IowaCindy - good luck with getting the results tomorrow. I hope you can sleep ok tonight.

    Joni - I do hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

    See you all in about a week when the fog starts to lift and I can stand to look at the computer screen again!
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  • Primel
    Primel Member Posts: 731
    edited March 2007

    thank you for the link to the article about young women having breast cancer, very interesting and well done.

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  • Brenda_R
    Brenda_R Member Posts: 509
    edited March 2007
    Mizsissy, make sure they do a throat culture on you.
    I also had a bad sore throat and they did 2 cultures and found out I had a yeast type/ thrush infection, often brought on by chemo.
    I was on Diflucan for 3 weeks.

    Ritajean, this treatment seemed to hit me right away instead of waiting for day 3.
    I had to lay down after chemo yesterday, and didn't sleep at all last night. I slept almost all day today.
    Stomach hurt yesterday, but better today after taking Zofran and Pepcid.
    I'm back to chicken noodle soup and crackers, and lots of fruit.
    Rita, I'm downstate (below Springfield), and I can't wait for warn weather. Lots to do outside, and I am so afraid I won't be able to physically do much of it.
    Maybe things will be better after the last chemo, and then I start on Herceptin, which should be much easier on me.
    Right now I am just so tired.

    Dry eyes, and twitching legs, burning feet, etc., have been a part of my chemo since treatment #1.
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  • Lynn12
    Lynn12 Member Posts: 1,008
    edited March 2007
    Rita and Jan, best wishes for your chemo tomorrow, you're in our thoughts!

    Joni, I'm getting hot flushes as well, they seem to be stronger after my chemo and fade before my next tx. I don't get chills. When I was in chemo last week, a women was in the room who had a hysterectomy, she was having hot flashes about every 5 minutes (yow!) and then she would be chilled, so it was blanket on, blanket off w/ fan, blanket on, blanket off w/ fan..etc. I felt so bad. Hope you're feeling better.

    Mizsissy, hope you're feeling better too!

    One of my twitches is the muscle between my thumb and index finger. If I hold my hand out, within a few minutes it'll twitch and my finger actually moves back and forth a few times all by itself until the twitching stops. Pretty weird!

    I'm all stressed about work. I have so much to do and am having a real hard time focusing this week, I'm still in a bit of a fog. Everyone needs something from me and my list is growing of things to deliver. To top it off, my short term disability ran out and I have this huge long form to fill/get fill by Onc to start long term disability. ugh!

    I looked up the rad onc that my onc recommended and he is the chief for radiology oncology at the cancer center. I'm good with that.

    Hugs to all you wonderful women!

    Lynn
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  • Lynn12
    Lynn12 Member Posts: 1,008
    edited March 2007
    Jan,

    Nice avatar!

    Lynn
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  • Caya
    Caya Member Posts: 971
    edited March 2007
    hi again all-
    Iowacindy - please let me know what your nurse says about the twitches and chemopause... It will be interesting if she concurs with what my onc. said. Hope your scans are okay.
    Mer 1957 - hope your are feeling better
    joni - i had hot flashes and chills too - onc. says it is chemopause - it makes sense.
    Lynn - hope you feel better, and that the forms aren't too crazy to fill out - like you don't have enough to deal with - hope the twitches aren't too bad.
    ritajean and Jan (any anyone elsewho is having a treatment tomorrow) - good luck, hope you will all be fine.
    I'm feeling pretty good tonight, been home from chemo for about 8 hours - usually by now I am nauseous, but tonight I felt okay - however as advised by my nurse I am taking the anti-nauseant pill before I feel any nausea, and will continue to do so for the next 3 - 4 days and see how I feel ... I'll let you know
    Mizsissy - hope you are feeling better - chicken soup and tea with honey are always good...
    Hugs to all
    Caya
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  • Dar1
    Dar1 Member Posts: 146
    edited March 2007
    Hi all - I'm up in the middle of the night, Ativan didn't help. I was having hot flashes, and I find when I'm on the steriod I wake up hungry(!) and have to have some warm milk and almonds. I felt pretty good yesterday, but little sleep the night before either.
    Joni - I have the red face and sometimes my chest as well - I think it's from the Ondastentron. Yesterday I felt like I had a sunburn!
    Well,my mild is done, maybe I can go back to sleep. I hope all are sleeping well.
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  • NOLONGERREADINGORPOSTING
    NOLONGERREADINGORPOSTING Member Posts: 778
    edited March 2007
    Looks like I'll survive this last chemo after all. I almost didn't keep my appointment with the doctor yesterday, I didn't think anyone would do anything, but it's a good thing I did. She said I needed to be on antibiotics right away, but there was just one antibiotic that would take care of all the different infections. I was so happy to find out there was ONE PILL that was going to take care of everything I was positively euphoric last night.

    This is by 7th (8th?) round of antibiotics since I started chemo in January...I can't remember. Yesterday was my worst day since I was dx'd. I felt like crap.. I had a raging sinus infection, I couldn't pee, my throat was sore and my neck was stiff, I looked really ugly, and I was very discouraged..we had to take a long and very uncomfortable three hour trip to Ann Arbor yesterday to see the doctor, and finally ended up with a little magic piece of paper, a prescription. Getting sick is such an indignity in this society!!!!

    At least my cats were concerned. They cuddled next to me yesterday, came up and peered into my face with worried looks!!!

    Well, I'm finally done with CHEMO!!! Feeling a lot better today and I think I'll get to my concert on Sunday!!!

    Hope everyone else is doing OK...

    Mizsissy
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  • Rebecca
    Rebecca Member Posts: 971
    edited March 2007
    Yeck...I too have been having some twitching. It is pretty mild so far, I have not lost any sleep over it. Actually, I have been sleeping pretty well now, probably because I am SO EXHAUSTED just from doing what was formerly my normal life that I pass out at night.

    On the other hand, although I have for the most part avoided the mouth sores, I think that I have developed a rim of sores around the edge of my tongue if you can beleive it. ugh. painful..almost feels like I drank my tea too hot.

    Feel better Mizsissy....I agree with Brenda_Dthat a throat culture is probably called for, as well as very likely (shudder for you) another round of antibiotics. At least this time you do not have to manage treatment of this under the gun because of an impending treatment, it is just the last indignity.

    Joni-I am getting some hot flushes as well, but they are pretty mild so far. I am not sure if it is because I am normally so cold that they are evening out or if it is because my ovaries have not completely pooped out yet. I have not gotten my period in quite a while now, so clearly there have been some effects of that. I keep waiting for the axe to fall, so to speak.

    Good luck with your results today IowaCindy..thinking about you.

    had to wake up extra early this morning to take my husband to the train station because his car would not start. So not only was I out in the nasty cold, but I had to listen to grouchy tirade all the way to the station. Dragged myself to the stationary bike and did my time (I really DO think it helps, although it is not my favorite thing to do at 6AM). Kids are starting to stir....breakfast to make, lunches to pack etc etc. Life goes on! Hope everyone has a good day today!
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  • Rebecca
    Rebecca Member Posts: 971
    edited March 2007
    Yippee Mizsissy! Glad it worked out
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  • meliaanne
    meliaanne Member Posts: 682
    edited March 2007
    Good Morning All,
    Mizsissy, I hope you continue to feel better.
    Rebecca, I had a terrible time with mouth sores the first two rounds of a/c. I think (hope) I have found a combo that works for me. I use biotene and the perscription mouthwash (novacaine, benedryl, and maalox combo) several times a day, and then if a sore STARTS to develop, I open a vit D and spread the oil on it. I have not asked my dr about the vit D since I don't want him to tell me not to use it ... and this round I haven't had any sores develop all the way. Last time they were so bad that I couldn't eat anything but soft, cold food. Hope that helps.

    Have a good day, everyone.

    Melia
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  • Dar1
    Dar1 Member Posts: 146
    edited March 2007
    Mizsissy - I'm so sorry you're feeling so bad, BUT, sounds like it is being dealt with. And you don't have to worry about another treatment, just about feeling better each day.
    I'm still feeling good, but usually I've found the weekend after the most exhausting. I think the warm weather (finally - warm to us, that is - +5c yesterday, I think that's low 40sF) and knowing that I'm done helps. It seems surreal, it's what my life has been about really since Dec.13 when I was told I would need chemo.
    I have to unload a bit. My brother-in-law and his wife were here on their way through from the coast last night. The brought flowers and congratulated me on my last chemo. Told me how good I look - I said it was my chemo-facial and the steroids take away all my wrinkles! I said that I was glad it was done, I hadn't had any infections or thrown up, but it still sucked and you don't have much of a life when you're getting chemo. My SIL is a nurse and she just looked at me and said "well that's what the treatment is". What empathy! I just said, "I guess it's my insurance policy" and changed the subject. I just wonder if she could be so matter-of-fact if it happened to her? It's funny how people are all so different.
    Anyway, they are back here for lunch today. My other SIL is bringing soup, so if my energy holds I'll make a banana loaf.
    Oh, and I got a letter from Manulife yesterday - they have approved my LTD until March 2009! I have a feeling though that they wouldn't just keep putting money in my account until then. There are paragraphs about actively aiming towards returning to work. But, looks like I won't be pushed faster than I can go either! I'm so bored and ready to go back, but not full time for quite a awhile.
    Hope everyone has a good day. Rebecca, sounds like you have you're hands full!
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  • NOLONGERREADINGORPOSTING
    NOLONGERREADINGORPOSTING Member Posts: 778
    edited March 2007
    Have any of you tried Magic Mouth Wash for your sores? Melia, sounds like you have something similar. It contains xylocaine and benedryl and it does work like magic. In fact, it was so strong I had to dilute mine with water. But after one dose I didn't have any sores. I think after a while your body gets used to the chemo and you don't get them any more.

    In fact, during one of my infections I made a little douche out of it I was so uncomfortable. It worked!

    About the twitching...I haven't had any, but I heard that there is some neuropathy with these chemos, and you do recover, although it may take some time. They have got to come up with a better way to manage this disease!!!

    Doc didn't do a throat culture, but since Keflex is about the only antibiotic I can take these days and is so general, it will probably take care of everything. I'm done with Chemo, FOREVER...

    Anybody heard from t4t or Tae?
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  • Rebecca
    Rebecca Member Posts: 971
    edited March 2007

    Thanks Melia...I think I will go out and get some Vitamin D capsules today and try that. I have a numbing throat spray that seems to do OK on my tongue if it gets too hard to bear, but so far so good. I was told about Biotene before I started chemo and I have been using the toothpaste since day one. I am wondering if that has helped with the prevention. I also use a salt/baking soda mouth rinse several times a day. Is it "normal" to get them on your tongue...I rather assumed that they would be on the inside of my cheeks if I was to get them...these are in a neat line all around my tongue, just at the bottom of where the tastebuds are. YECK. very annoying

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  • Amera
    Amera Member Posts: 452
    edited March 2007
    Good morning all.

    Re mouth sores and hot flashes: I also feel like my tongue is burned. And the spots on my cheeks that I normally chew (didn't realize I even did this) are sore and red. I have minor hot flashes on and off a few times/day. My cycle is completely screwed up so I have no idea if/when my period is due. The worst part is a hot flash while wearing a wool hat. Cannot very well whip it off at the grocery store but I've been tempted.

    Finally feeling like myself at more than a week post chemo. This round took forever. I am still having some stomach awareness issues and need to keep something in it to feel better. My husband keeps asking if there's something else I can take but I do not feel as if it's major enough to call--just very uncomfortable and frankly, I do not want to take any more pills. Just looking at/smelling my anti-nausea meds makes me feel yucky! I am clearly starting to make chemo associations. In fact, the website for my oncologist is right under this one on my favorites. Just looking at it makes me feel queezy.

    Okay, off to a busy day today and then to Maine for the weekend. Hope all this activitiy doesn't wipe me out too badly.
    Amera
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  • sharon56
    sharon56 Member Posts: 220
    edited March 2007
    i have magic mouthwash use it everyday and it works on the tounge sores too and metal mouth and pasties . You have to get a script for it . Works great .
    As for the chills and such I get them a sensation all over my body , feels like I a cold and I get hotflashes , I am attributing it to chemopause . If I do not get another period again I am ok with that . Kill 2 birds with one stone !
    I am taking it easy this weekend and ramping up for first taxotere treatment on Monday , lots of sleep and eating while I can taste and keep it down .
    Good luck girls if you are at chemo today .
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  • skyedivine
    skyedivine Member Posts: 839
    edited March 2007
    Mizsissy, hope that antibiotic is helping your sore throat. On the topic of mouth and tongue sores, I haven't needed the magic wash, and haven't had one sore due to rinsing my mouth and gargling with a mild solution of warm salt water (one half teaspoon to two cups water) after every meal as recommended by my onc team. I think it is another reason I've avoided colds and flu because you are constantly washing the germs away too.
    Lynn, I have that same annoying hand twitch. But mostly my neuropathy is numb toes and fingers, which is really annoying for typing or drawing, both of which I need to be doing. It is not fun having a book due while on chemo.
    I did have a big triumph yesterday...I made it all the way thru the 40-minute Leslie Sansone kickbox-walking CD, though my tail was a-dragging by the end and I wasn't performing quite at Leslie's level. I'll try my ancient Stormie O Martian aerobics one today. Shorti, I start Taxol on Monday, that's pretty much like taxotere I think. We will have to compare notes. Dar1, that SIL was SO unempathic. Rude, actually. I feel sorry for her patients. - Skye
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