Anyone starting Chemo in Feb?

Quote:

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1st Taxol for me on 4-15-07. Hope it's not as TAXing as AC.

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Laughing at Pat's play on words...here's hoping it's not as TAXing either Pat!

Hi All!
I just wanted to let you know I had my last chemo treatment last week - yay!
Radiation for 6 weeks is next. Thanks for all your support in these tough months! Anyone wanting to chat, please email me.
Stephanie

Catherine (laughing at the 'nosy' question) -- I'm an MBA, ex-accountant, ex-computer type geek who manages a group of computer geeks....well, not really computer geeks in the hardware/technician kind of vein -- rather, a bunch of SAP analysts (acronym stands for a really expensive kind of software used in business). Perhaps a little of a thwarted poet? Actually, I'm married to an english teacher...heh. I amuse myself greatly -- it keeps me sane.

Steph -- good for you! I can't wait to be finished. Four more to go.

Twink --

Loved the sonnet! It describes my nasal passages exactly, but I would have loved it anyways!

-- Hillary

Theresa's post reminded me that I have to start taking reservations for next week:

Monday - Vegas, Phyl
Tuesday - Hillary
Wednesday, Wendy, Theresa

-- Hillary

P.S. Carynn -- did you survive your chemo along with all that work?

OOpps...my first Taxol is on 4/19 not the 15th. Chemo Brain.

Pat

Hillary -

Put me down for Monday - my LAST AC! yahoo!

Haven't been on in a couple of days - WOW! lots going on it seems!

Has anyone had issues with their eyes? Last tx, I had watery eyes, but this one - even worse! Feels like I'm allergic to something - and I have NO allergies! If it wasn't for my eyes bothering me so much, I would be having a terrific week! ugh!

Jen

Hi everyone,

Hillary put me down for Thursday - last FEC. then it will be Taxol 3rd May.
Twink, great poem understand the sentiment well. Greatest problem is my nostrils get stuck and it is not very elegant when you have prise them open so you can breathe properly.
Terry, Carynn and Catherine- Interesting what you have said about your ports. Mine has been itchy and a bit red and I can feel the end of a stitch at one end of the scar so hope it comes away soon.
Jen - have had minor problems with my eyes- very gritty and eyelids stuck together when I wake. Have used optrex which seems to help, Cancer Society recommended this.
Marsha I have heard some wonderful names for boobs - Pinky and Perky, Nirvana and Utopia, Mary and Martha, Rum and Monkey to name a few.
Catherine, I lose myself in games like spider solitaire and have become hooked on sudoku. Its great to be able to shut out everything else that is going on.
It is Easter break now so we have two weeks off school so will have a good rest and hopefully #3 will go OK.
Interested in all the comments about snow. Friends from Indiana are worried that their roses will be affected by the snow. They retuen to the US at the beginning of May.
It is beginning to get colder here but we are having lovely days. Our winter doesn't really set in until June and in this part of the country we never have snow just a lot of rain though we do get several frosts. Last winter there were weeks and weeks of frosts which was unusual.
Must fill in the form for LGFB, might be able to get in over the next couple of weeks.
Gosh wedding are expensive. Daughter Erin brought round the quote for the wedding. What amazed me was DH didn't bat an eyelid saying thats fine dear go ahead a book it. We haven't even started looking at dresses or things. Never mind it is something to look forward to and planning it will be fun.
Had better have a look at the kitchen and see if anything needs doing. DH has been wonderful with such things but sometimes I feel bad that he is doing so much.
Must find the Easter eggs - I actually bought them a couple of weeks ago.
Easter Blessing to everyone.

Alyson

My eyes are watery and at the end of the day, sting quite a bit. I thought it might be a SE but I was also told this area is ripe with allergens. When I moved here last summer, several people warned me that even though I'd never had allergies, to be expecting problems in the spring. My daughter has also been complaining of watery eyes so I've been thinking it's just a symptom of spring in the Lehigh Valley. Hmmm....who knows.

I need to pick your brains on the Taxol vs. Taxotere subject. What did you find that made you choose Taxol over Taxotere? My onc seems to prefer Taxotere and I can't find any reason why not to go that direction. It seems to have the added benefit of not producing the degree of SEs that Taxol does. I'm up for my first of four DD this coming Thursday and need to make a decision before then. Help please.

Have a nice Saturday all...especially those recovering from your latest treatment. This is my 'good' weekend and we're having a couple of friends over for snacks, drinks and games...should be fun.

Jen, the runny nose, watery pink puffy eyes have been with me almost since week one of the AC series. I understand cytoxan is the culprit. The NP told me to take Claritine (OTC), which I have done a little (took 4 so far), especially on Neulasta days (because, for reasons they don't know) it seems to alleviate the pain from Neulasta while helping with the allergy-like symptoms... I use saline drops for my eyes in the morning... Alyson, Optrex is a name familiar to me (widely used in France)... I think I remember you do not want too big bottles so it remains very fresh to avoid some bacterial development. I always go for "dose" packaging, although more expensive, but you do not have to track how long it has been since you started the bottle...

Carynn, glad to hear you are up and running... don't overdo it, though...

To those of you starting Taxol next week: are you planning to chew on ice during tx, etc. (to avoid mouth sores)? Abraxane comes with a list of "possible" SE's that don't seem much better than AC... and yet, the onc told me I would not need any premeds with it... not even the glutamin, unless I do show symptoms after first tx (maybe, being in a study, they do not want to have to "weight in"
the various "supplements" their guinea-pigs are on, for better control of the experiment...???). Stay tuned...

Well, looks like it's not going to be a great walking day today either: we did not get 3 inches of snow, more like a dusting at this point, but much colder than announced, in the high 20's for the day... bbrrr... Some house cleaning might be in the cards, then... or maybe not...

Have all as "zen" a Saturday as possible...
CatherineH

Hi again! If any or all of you have had the great medical staff supporting you during your treatments, you might understand what I am trying to do. They are some amazingly strong people and I want to recognize that. As you can see by our username, Lightphoto, I am an outdoor and nature photography enthusiast. Not a pro, but enjoy the hobby. My favorite topic to photograph is lighthouses of the Great Lakes region. I am working on a project that I can present to the staff on the oncology office when Theresa is done with tx. The intent is to encourage the staff as well as those patients that will be coming in for tx in the future. I am trying to search out ideas of images that might convey hope, encouragement, and peace. The image would be framed and matted with the intention of display in the infusion area. If you might have any ideas, I would really appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks for listening.
Scott

Bar reservations:

Monday - Vegas, Phyl, Jen (last AC!)
Tuesday - Hillary (1st taxol), Catherine (1st abraxane), Sammiekay
Wednesday - Wendy, Theresa, Marsha (1st taxol)
Thursday - StephJ (last AC!), Twink (1st taxol), Alyson (last FEC),

Pat, Terry, Maisy, Tropicmom -- I can't remember if you are on two week or three week schedules. Let me know whether to include you for upcoming week.

We're still taking reservations ....

TinkC -- How did you do on April 3rd with your treatment? Also, we're still waiting to hear about due date for your baby girl!

Happy Easter tomorrow to all who celebrate!

-- Hillary

Vegas,

Sorry to hear you still have your fever. Hope you will be feeling better soon. I can relate...I don't have a fever but still not much energy yet from the virus...all you can really do with a virus is try and rest.

You'll have a nice break with your delay, so enjoy your anniversary celebration! Hope you are feeling great by then.

Hope everyone else who was 'ailing" is feeling much better, too...

Hello, all! Back from a beautiful week in N. California, my favorite place in all the world!

I have caught up on all the happenings with you guys. The Marsha fund raiser(s) sound fabulous, and totally doable. The idea for the "men's trip" is a solid one. I am always suprised at what men will happily pay for. In this case, they are getting real "value" for their money. Maybe a tad more to charge? Or plenty of opportunities for them to bet/choose on other things as the ladies have suggested?

The weather has been a surprise in many parts of the country. I was enjoying exquisite weather in Napa Valley, but I received 5 emails on my Treo to tell me about 5 inches of snow/ice being received back home in Massachusetts!

In my newfound quest to try lots of new things (chemo doesn't count ), I had 3 spa treatments at a high end spa place which was delicious! I felt as if my skin was old and ugly since the chemo, (someone else commented on this very thing!) and so I had one treatment which rubbed oil and then salt to exfoliate, one where warm mud was painted on and then I was wrapped like a burrito with hot towels and blankets, and then a 75 minute 'wellness massage" with hot towels on my spine and everything massaged within an inch of its life. The salt one hurt, but the rest combined to make my skin feel fabulous. The massueur was a 25 year old Mexican man, and he was very kind. He gave my fuzzy scalp a wonderful massage. We chatted about chemo, and he said quite a few clients were going thru the same sort of thing. He made it very comfortable and easy, which was why I never wanted to have these things to begin with. But it was good. Slept very well that night!

They did pitchers of water with a few slices of cucumber in the pitcher- very refreshing! And a very different taste for all you who hate water!

In case anyone is wondering, I am 3.5 weeks post last AC. Some things are getting back to normal, other things seem to keep going. I couldn't have my restaging tests for one month post last AC, and now I know why. The hair loss in the bikini parts continued to manifest, yet head hair fuzz starts growing back. Even a few hairs on my legs, though pits show no signs of rejuvenating.
Discoloration of nail beds and sticky eyes continue. No improvement there.
Taste seems to have fully returned. But metabolism is different than it was pre-chemo. I need to eat a lot more times, but I can only eat smaller amounts.
Biggest difference was the energy- I used to be the energizer bunny on vacations, but this time, I was only good for about 4 hours of whatever I was doing, and then I needed to rest. Used the pool and sat on patios at more places than I ever knew existed!

But the best part of being on vacation was that, for hours at a time, I forgot I was stage IV BC and could just be my normal self. That was the best part.

On some level, wish I was "taxing" with you guys. It is easier when we are together. I am worried about this treatment, as I can't take decadron or benadryl. So I don't know what they are going to do for me. Also don't want the neulasta, so I may not do DD if I have a choice. There is another regime called "metronomic"- every week for 12 weeks, but a very small dose each week. Not sure who that would be appropriate for, but trying to find out! If that allevaiates the need to take the other meds, I may push for it. Don't know, but I will be following you all closely!
Hope you all had a good Sunday. FOr those who were visited by the (chocolate)bunny, did you eat the ears first????!!!

Love.

Leah, wonderful break, sounds like... you make me envious... It's nice to know there are places like that where you can entrust your body to strangers who will give you the care and attention you need... and help healing the trauma of this rough journey.
There is a new thread here regarding the combo treatment of Abraxane + Avastine for advanced BC. You may want to talk about this with your oncologist. If you search on those 2 terms, you should find it. Women there are in recurrence/spread scenarios, and are reporting incredibly encouraging news. They also explain how to benefit from it when ins. co's don't cover these treatments.
Whishing you the very best and long lasting benefits from this spa experience (I'll try the cucumbers... a few slices in the pitcher, a few slices on my sticky puffy eyes...).

Take care and stay with us, here, we want to hear from you often...
Big bunny hugs,

CatherineH