June 2007 Chemo

I too have "dents' whenever I wear wigs but they fade after a couple of hours. Do you wear a liner under the wig? I find that helps keep it comfortable for 4 hours at least. Adjusting the tabs in back during the day seems to keep it from feeling too big or too small. Yesterday, it was so damp and cold here, I plopped the wig on just to go out on the balcony to water the plants.

Hello everyone. I "might" be wearing my wig for the first time today! Maybe , it is sooo hot and humid here. My Son is having a graduation dinner today , and I told him I would try and wear my wig. But I also don't want to be miserable. So , we'll see... I am having a real struggle with deciding to take tamoxifen or not. Nothing is a sure thing and I feel so confused on what is best. I know it is suppose to help with keeping the estrogen away from bc cells. But there are so many SEs' and in the end it may or may not help an individual. No part of this bc is easy...Well , hope everyone has a good weekend. Hugs , Mel

Mel, have a great time at your son's graduation dinner, good luck with the wig! Congrats to your son, too.

Bonnie, magic mouthwash is supposed to work very well for mouth sores. You have to get a script for it though. I've used a baking soda rinse with success and I use Biotene toothpaste too.

Hello Everyone,

Well Monday will be my third Taxol infusion. I am hoping it will be about the same or better than the second. It helps knowing what to expect. It is also great to know that in two weeks I will have my last one! Yeah!!

Most of the se's have faded by now with the exception of a little neuropathy, but nothing I can't live with. The only other thing is a lingering fatique which could also just be the cumulative effect of all these weeks and weeks of chemo. If I am on my feet too long, I really need a nap.

Mel, I am also nervous about tamoxifen; but it helps to realize that most of us will only have a few if any side effects; and I am hoping they will not be too awful. I guess I feel like I have to try it and see if it is OK and then work with the dr. if it is too bad.

Terry it was nice to hear about your trip to Corning. I have to agree that shopping definitely lifts my spirits too!
Good news about getting released from the home health care too.

Garnetann, hope you have a great visit with your son. Enjoy every minute and leave the worrying about your taxol on the 5th until you get home.

Take care everyone, Debbie

Doesn't it just drive you crazy to type a couple paragraphs and then not find it after you hit the continue button?

Oh well, if that was the worst thing to happen...........

Just wanted to report that I didn't have any allergic reactions yesterday with my first taxol/herceptin tx!! YEAH!! I was pretty nervous so I took an ativan and with the benedryl in my IV, I was out pretty quick! Told DH to not let me snore very loudly! Took another nap when we got home. I'm going to skip the ativan next week - maybe I'll be able to stay awake!

Today has been good too - went to my cousins wedding and accomplished a couple chores. Big difference from my A/C tx exhaustion! What a relief. Hopefully this continues.

Sounds like a couple of you are thinking about tamoxifen. I was on that for 15 months before my recurrence and the only side effect that really bothered me were the hot flashes but they they were more like warm flashes and now I have them again - guess it's the chemo-pause kicking in. You can always quit the tamoxifen if you have bad side effects but you won't know until you try. Talk to your oncologists at length............................

Hope everyone is enjoying thier weekends!!
Dawn

Gracie, I'm feeling good this past week. Since I'm off home health care I've decided to release myself from most restrictions. LOL I've cooked dinner, did laundry and I'm bending and stretching....it feels so good to be moving again! My daughter did a terrific job of changing my dressing yesterday but she starts college tomorrow so not sure how her new schedule is going to effect this. It's always something, huh? We'll work around it at any rate.
I did read here on this site that Decadron can also cause slow wound healing so I'm double-whammied at this point. It hasn't healed anymore in three weeks, still stuck at 1 CM deep but it has come a long way from 4 CM, for sure.

I am not looking forward to my second tx of Taxol tomorrow. I was so exhausted after the first treatment and my heart raced for days. I'm going to ask the onc if the Neulasta could be causing that as I've ruled out everything else. The joint pain was bearable and really lasted only about 24 - 36 hours. It's just the fatigue factor I abhor! My tastebuds reappeared for a short time too but my mouth is so dry the past few days, they disappeared again. I guess I should be thankful that's all the SE I've experienced. The racing heart is scary though.

Garnettann, have a great trip to Colorado! Relax, relax, relax, you've earned this!!

Gracie, I hope you don't experience the bad foot/hand syndrome this time around. Good luck tomorrow!

I'm getting pinpoint black dots on my fingernails, just noticed them this morning. Hope I don't lose them, not that my fingernails are beautiful to begin with! I have a big one on my big toenail that started with AC.

Mel, so glad the grad dinner turned out wonderful for you and your family. :-)

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

Cyndi, I had some numbness already in the ends of my fingers during AC. I got on a clinical trial with vitamin E during Taxol, to see if it helps. So we'll see if they do better or worse...right now, since I've had the hand/foot syndrome already and they are peeling, I would say it's worse. They gave me prednisone for the hand/foot, and it helped out a little. So I hope they give it to me again tomorrow and fora few days afterward.

Gracie

Hi Everybody,
It sounds as if most of us are going through treatment this week. I start Taxol tomorrow and am trying to stay calm. (I already get bad pain from the nuelasta.) I haven't decided whther or not to take the xanax. I don't want to be hyper nervous, but I don't know if foggy is the way to go. Since it takes all day, do some of you already on Taxol pack a lunch or something? I know that sounds like a silly question, but I am wondering. I go in at 8:30 and they said I'll probably be there till 4. I like to eat on chemo days before the nausea hits. Any advice?
Thanks,
Debbie M

Bonnie, glad to hear you enjoyed the cabin, it is wonderful to feel normal at times. I cried going to my tx this AM knowing I was going to feel less than stellar for a few days. Oh, well, #6 down, two more to go.

Debbie M, I agree with Bonnie, take the xanax to ease your fears. I took one this morning not for nerves but just because I did not want to go, first time I've felt that strongly about it. Also, the benadryl they give you will most certainly knock you out. I slept off and on again today. It hits pretty suddenly and then you can't keep your eyes open. Reminds of when the kids were younger and they'd be fighting sleep, nodding off with their head to one side and then jerking awake. Who? Me, tired? LOL

I always bring snacks, some fruit and those little 100 calorie snack bags. Then on the way home we stop and pick up sandwiches or burgers.

I can't imagine why you would be there for that long. Five hours is about the time involved between blood work, dr check-up and then the actual infusion. At any rate, I wish you well. Taxol hasn't been too bad for me overall.

Terri, sorry to hear of your SE with Taxol, it's amazing to me how we all react differently to the same drugs! Kudos on finishing up this week. I'm thinking of having an end of chemo celebration party in October when I'm done....desserts only, mainly chocolate ones. LOL
Did you have mammosite? I had that before I started chemo so after my last tx on 9/24, I too will be finito! I can't wait.

Good luck to your twin. I hope it isn't anything, keep us updated on her situation. My twin is a 14 year survivor, she's my guiding light in all of this. Just wish we lived closer. I did hear my cousin is being examined this week for possible tumors, one in her breast and one under her arm. If she has cancer, that will be the fourth member of my generation to get it, all on my mom's side. My grandmother had it and then it seemed to have skipped a generation to mine. How weird, huh? My twin tested negative for BRCA 1 and 2. I'm going to ask my onc more about this testing though.
Hope everyone is doing well that had chemo yesterday, check in, please!
Gotta get the dog to the vet today and do laundry...ah, I love life, I really do. :-)

Hi all,

My name is Denise and I am new to this discussion board. I am 40 and was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of this year and started chemo in June (4 treatments of A/C). I had my 4th A/C treatment last Tuesday and start my next regimen, Taxol & Herceptin, on September 13th. I have 3 months of that followed by 9 months of Herceptin. I did OK on A/C for the first two treatments, but the last 2 seem to have kicked me off my feet with fatigue and nausea. Actually, just alot of burping that makes me nauseous and I can't keep that under control. Anyway, I look forward to getting to know all of you better as well as share experiences with you.

Denise

Welcome Denise!
I was also diagnosed in May and had my last AC last Thurs. I start Taxol on Sept. 12. and will also get herceptin. You will find this group is a great source of info during tx. Even though everyone's experience is a little different, there is nothing like hearing from someone going through the same thing.
Cyndi

Welcome, Denise. I, too have just finished AC and was lucky to have experienced only constipation, some fatigue, chemo brain, a lot of burping and gassssss. This is a wonderful group for information and support. Let's hope the Taxol segment of our treatment goes smoothly. I have an appointment with the surgeon tomorrow to see if he wants to operate now or after the Taxol. All depends on how much that 6 cm blob has shrunk.

Hi all,

Cyndi - It sounds like you and I will be having the same treatment sechedule. How long is your Taxol a& Herceptin treatment? Are you also doing Herceptin afterwards? Just curious.

Gracie - Thanks. I am looking forward to learning and hearing more and also just for the support altogether.

Shrink - Sounds like you had some of the same stuff I did with A/C. I guess I should have contributed alot of my "chemo brain" to actually "chemo brain" - I was thinking that I was just losing it! LOL! Good luck on your appointment tomorrow. I hope the blob has shrunk and you get the decision that you are wanting. What did you do for your burping? Anything help?

Mel - Is the tamoxifen an infusion too? How long will you take the tamoxifen? I too miss my hair SO MUCH!!! I was just telling a friend of mine last night that I'd love my hair back so that I could at least feel that I "look" normal!

I hate to say that I miss my hair so much, but I really do! I feel so self conscious without it. Does anyone know if hair will start growing while on Taxol?

I just got my results on the genetic testing I did. Did anyone else do any genetic testing? Just curious.

Denise

Denise - I had burping and gas for about a week after each AC treatment. My SO (galantly) and I just learned to live with it but an OTC remedy might have helped.

My hair started to grow back after the 3rd AC treatment. Mostly, it's just stubble with some 1/2 strands of colorless hair scattered around. If you look closely, and I do, I look like some kind of wierd chia pet. The Taxol may make it fall out again.

I'm a little frightened about tomorrow's visit to the BS. I noticed a small blister on my chest above my right breast (the bad one). I hope this isn't skin mets since I've been diagnosed with IBC, DCIS, ILC and IDC. I'm Stage IIIb and pretty scared about every little synptom. As Scarlett O'Hara said, "I'll think about this tomorrow." Right.

Hope you're all doing OK.