Starting Chemo in May 07

Has anybody else developed a cough from chemo? I've had it now for at least 3 weeks or more and it isn't severe, just annoying and it seems to be getting a bit worse with each passing week. Is this another chemo side effect that I didn't know about or is it just me?

LeeAnne

P.S. Amy, I'm so glad to hear your fever went down!

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I forgot - this is how fatigued I am: I ordered groceries from Safeway online! I figure I need to conserve my strength for things that matter, and grocery shopping really doesn't. Hey, and first order was free delivery! Yeah!

LeeAnne

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New Seasons will deliver the first order free as well

Taxol pain is completely draining...who was it that said that comparing A/C to Taxol is like choosing between a plane crash or a train wreck...

Plus...hey...I figured out why the tears last week - delayed stress reaction to having trouble breathing during the last taxol round. I'm super calm in the face of crisis, which that was, but the reality is that it was pretty scary. And that comes bubbling out, overflowing later on...it's all scary. And the pains no fun.

So my solution: rent a bunch of funny movies! Robin William's Man of the Year kicked it off....what are your favorites?

and Lee Anne - the oncology nurse also told me to stay away from movie theatres and I asked my onc. doc about it at my next appt and he said he disagreed entirely, that it was important for me to live my life as much as I could and not stress about going to do something relaxing, just to be smart about it. Not sit next to someone who is sick, go to a showing that won't be crowded, wash my hands (I use alcohol wipes) before putting food in my mouth, etc. Not that I've been able to eat popcorn since I started chemo, but still...I'm ever hopeful

Hugs all, we can do this....and I sure hope that you all will stick around and check in after chemo's done, because with possible rads and reconstruction I still have a long road ahead.

Hey ladies. Hope you are all well. I had my fourth TCH on last Monday and it kicked me in the butt. On Friday I had vomiting, diarrhea and passed out twice. Thank God my son was here to take care of me. He was so worried he wanted to call 911,,,,,,,,,I said o noooooooo this will pass. Today I still feel like crap. But wanted to know from you ladies,,,,,,,,,,does it get worse with each treatment? I have 2 more to go and hate the thought of feeling like I did on Friday. Sad when us as moms are here to take care of our kids and now they have to take care of us. I feel so unable to do anything. I see people walking around and enjoying things and I just dont have the energy to do shit. Sorry,,,,,,,,venting here, I'm in a depressing mood today. I wonder if I had a touch of the flu at the same time,,,,,,,,,,,,cause I have never had this happen to me before during my first 3 treatments. In the past there was only a few times that I was even nauseated so the vomiting and all was just a total surprise to me. Anyone have some insight? Are the last ones the worse as far as side effects go?
Have a good day all..............take care
Cindy
PS...........I have done online grocery shopping also,,,,,,and I loooooooooooove it. There are times when I just dont want to go grocery shopping and what a neat idea the stores had with home delivery huh? Plus,,,,as far as picking out fruits and veges for the customers,,,,,,they do a great job,,,,,,I couldnt do better myself actually.

Amy, glad you are feeling better... (I had a chemo moment...wrote in a post about Columbus OH and you are from Columibia MO - derrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

LeeAnne- I HAVE THE COUGH! So annoying! Just a tickle cough like you get when you have allergies. I had a flat tire this AM - ugh - and it's POURING here in NJ...just a horrible start to the day... Anyhow, noticed I kept coughing --

My heart goes out to you ladies with the Taxol. I could have had the AC-T treatment, but given my tumor was small, my onc in NYC said "how much is too much" and said just the AC was fine. I have to say, I managed with the first 2, the third AC made me very sick...and EXTREMELY depressed to the point where I said, "I don't know if I can do this again..." Fortunately, I felt better by the 4th, and was able to do it only b/c I knew it was my last one.

Oh, Amy, your tagline makes me smile. My onc in NJ told me that I would feel like a dishrag at the end of my treatments. She said, you'll feel good, then bad, then good in time for the next one...by the time you are finished, you will feel like a dishrag... SHE WAS RIGHT!!

Wishing you all a speedy time to feeling better!!!

Virginia

Amy, keep forgetting (last vestigages of chemo brain) to say how wonderful all the support you are getting... That's just great...

I was out in my yard mowing and thinking "I'm the only jerk on chemo out here mowing her own lawn..." Gluttony. I have to tell you, that for my last 2 treatments, I had really lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng grass!!

LeeAnne, I think that my cough and drippy nose might be from my Herceptin. Although, the cytoxin did give me a congested head, and maybe a post nasal drip which lead to the cough. Today I feel like a sore throat and now I am thinking it's the Herceptin. ARGH.

I think I need my Xanax. I can't stand waiting for test results!!! Isn't the worst?

LeeAnne, I think I have been having a little cough due to the cytoxan. Is yours continuing on the Taxol?

Amanda, you know I'm right with you on the tears being THIS CLOSE. You are in the home stretch... and us NW grrrls are TOUGH!

Liz, waiting is the WORST. When are you supposed to hear back?

I've been Netflixing back seasons of "Arrested Development" which is a show I find VERY amusing. I'd never seen it, so I have a lot to catch up on. I find that strangely comforting.

And girls, book a massage appointment! Mine was so nice! Maybe I find it extra nice because I'm single and paying a man to rub oil on my naked body... hmmmm... but BESIDES that, he found so many knots (from laying around so much, I think) which are no longer there. And I felt better walking out of there than I have in a long while. I didn't know how it would go laying on my stomach with my port in my chest pressing into the table but he raised the face-thingy and I was fine. I could feel my port when he pressed hard on my back but after awhile it sort of numbed up. Oh, and he was pretty excited because he'd never massaged a bald head with oil before. So glad I could provide some novelty...

Oh and the grocery delivery kicks major bootay. There's something very comforting about a really full fruit bowl and refrigerator. And I didn't have to go anywhere to make it happen.

Boy have I been chatty lately!
LeeAnne

I thought I would post as I have my last dose of FAC tomorrow and will probably be down for a few days. But I am doing the NOMOCHEMO dance big time. So far the worst was #2 as far an nausea went. Then # 3 was worst for fatigue. So I have no idea what to expect from # 4. I will just take my nausea meds and go to bed.

Amy, bless your heart with little ones. They are so precious and I know you will be glad to get back to "normal" as far as caring for them. Thank God for our church brothers and sisters. I know it is a gift for them as well to be able to help you.
I was running fever last week. I, too, have a normal temp of 97.6 and when I get up too 99.9, I can really feel funky. Mine was 100.3 Thurs. night, so I called the onc. on Fri. and they called me in some Levaquin(antibiotic). I have run a low grade temp. frequently while I have been on FAC. Mine temp is back down to 98.6 after four days of antibiotic. Hope you are feeling better too.

CindyMN, I was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer, a 4.5cm tumor in right breast. Only micro mets in 2 sentinel nodes. The next tier of nodes (12 removed) were all negative. I opted for bilateral mastectomies because lobular has a highter incidence of showing up in the other breast. I have very dense breast tissue. I had mammos every year and this cancer did not show on mammo. They told me it had probably been there for 8 years. So there you go...now I am told lobular doesn't show on mammo and one needs to have a breast MRI. So I wonder why that isn't more publicized.

I say amen to Liz about the mastectomies. I will have breast implants after I recover from chemo. I was a D cup and wanted a reduction anyway. This is just a really hard path to get reductions LOL.

A big shout out to everyone, NeoPat, LeeAnn, Traci, CindyKS, Virginia and anyone else I may have missed. I am new to this board and don't have all the names straight yet.

I want the genetic testing done for my daughters and my sister and nieces. My Mom had ovarian cancer and Dad had prostate and lung cancer. I have read that there is a strong connection between the ovarian and breast cancer. I also read of a higher incidense of breast cancer in women whose fathers had prostate cancer.

Take care and hugs to all. Love you, Sammie Kay

Hi everyone
I go for my first taxotere on Thursday. I am nervous as it will be different from the FEC. I have to see my oncologist tomorrow at 7:00AM. TOO early for me!!! Anyone out there on taxotere and how is it?
As far as good movies go, I took my daughter to see Hairspray on Friday. She loved it and it was so funny and uplifting. We also bought the soundtrack as the music is fun and lively. This is a GREAT pick me up for all of us.
take care out there
Kim

Kim - I saw Hairspray last night (I'm not a big fan of musicals - so wasn't expecting much) but boy did I ever enjoy it! I agree - very uplifting! Even made me feel better about the weight I've gained since chemo began!!

I go for tx #5 today and then I'm off on vacation tomorrow so I'll catch up with you all in 3 weeks. Wishing everyone good health, no SE's and peace of mind!

Mandy

Hey girls,

Temp is back to normal--yay! Seems like the antibiotic was a good call.

I had a babysitter this morning, so I did laundry while she was here and watched the kids. Now I'm wiped out!! I've got to break this habit of overdoing it! The kids are down for their naps now, though, so I'm resting the entire time, hopefully.

Any word, Liz?

Amy

Hey Cindy, Glad you're back. Hope you get past a 5 soon.

Hope everyone's having a good day. I'm still waiting to hear about the MRI. I'll call before the end of the day to see what's going on. I have a follow-up scheduled with Onc tomorrow so I may have to wait till then. Yeesh. And I'm out of wine.

Cheers to you Liz! What wonderful news! Gives me hope.

Liz - Congrats! That rocks.....but I'm confused - no detectable cancer (yay!!) but you still have to finish chemo after surgery (in case there are any undetectable cancer cells running around)...and why surgery again if nothing's detectable? Call me 'ol chemo brain, I'm so sorry I'm not tracking well....

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AmyaM, I know it's a bit counter-intuitive. But the surgeon, onc and tumor board all agreed that I would need to have a mastectomy anyway regardless of the results of the chemo and I think that is because I have a multi-focal tumor (meaning that there are two separate tumors plus some DCIS). The point of the chemo is to shrink it enough to get it away from the chest wall, plus to kill any cancer that may have moved to another part of my body -- which is the biggest worry right? The Taxol is just extra insurance to kill any additional undetectable cells I think.

And also the scans don't pick up anything smaller than 5 mm I think so that means there could still be cancer cells in there that they don't see.

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Got it...thx for explaining, i'm always learning...the DCIS is why I had to have a mastectomy as well...star burst/scattershot, wrapped around the IDC tumor... with a lumpectomy they wouldn't have been comfortable on the margins...if only chemo treated DCIS...I was just re-reading my pathology report, and the IDC + the DCIS on the outside was a 3.5 cm tumor, while the IDC part was only 1.9 cm...ah well, so it goes. So sorry you have to have surgery though.

I'm SO glad that neoadjuvant therapy was able to shrink the tumors away from your chest wall!!