June 2007 Chemo

Terry, no my port is right by my collarbone on my "good side"; but I was told after it was put in that if I ever had any swelling or anything to give them a call. So that's what I did>

Hopefully it's nothing major! I'm also extremely tired as of late..... I think the taxol is catching up to us.

I'm also questioning "what am I gonna do now?" once I'm done with treatment.

Bonnie

Yea, happy dance here......last Taxol today



Bonnie, I hope you find out it's nothing but overuse of your arm. Keep us informed. When I went in today, I was running a fever of 100.1 I was SO scared they were going to put me off, but they didn't, just put me on Levaquin for five days...so I'm done...well...almost.





My blood calcium levels have been high, now I was taking Tums for my stomach so it might be that i just had too much calcium, but it can also indicate bone mets, so my onc is doing a bone scan before I get my port out to make sure. My tumor markers are also up, he says that happens alot on Taxol and it could be nothing, but he's also doing a pet scan to make sure, so if you all pray, please say a little one for me



I'll let you all know as soon as I know anything.



Going to go eat supper, and relax....for the first time in four months it feels like really relaxing



Blessings to all of you,



Gracie

Bonnie, I'll be thinking about you tomorrow; hope your arm is better when you wake up tomorrow!  Garnetann, I feel so sad about the calf.  It doesn't matter whether it was a cow or a dog or cat; you still get attached.  Maybe it was here just to help you through this summer, and sounds like he did a good job of it too.  Gracie, you are in my thoughts and prayers that your tests will all turn out well.

TerryNY, today was two weeks from my last infusion; I was happy all day not to be at the oncologists today.  Tonight when I went to the grocery store, I really felt like I had a lift to my footsteps and more energy.  So keep up your spirits, the fatigue does wear off when that nasty stuff finally works its way all the way out of your system.

Take care, everyone.

I'm sorry for everyone's troubles. Gracie, you are in my prayers. Be sure and keep us posted. Bonnie, I hope your arm is better and you can get your last taxol. Garnetann, that is so sad about the calf.  Terry, I'm sorry you are so tired. I haven't notice an increase in fatigue but I've only had one taxol tx so far.

I'm feeling pretty good physically but emotionally is another story. My good friend Barbara's husband has been fighting lymphoma for years and the end is very near. I feel so sad because all these years that he's been going through chemo, I never knew how hard it was on him till I had to go through chemo too. I don't know what to do for them.

Cyndi

Terry, Congrats on your last treatment.  Hope all goes well.  I'm due for Taxol #2 tomorrow.  I'll be thinking about you.  I have two more chemos to go before I'm done, probably in November.  Then, surgery.  It's a long haul. I found that I'm a little more tired than I was on AC and had some serious leg pain after the first Taxol infusion.  This time I have the pain rx on hand.

Terry - I'm not sure what shots w/weekly infusions - I'm sure I'll find out if my counts drop much more!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I've worked through all of the surgeries and treatments for both dx and now I want to stay home and catch up and do what I want to do!!  Oh well.  Maybe I can retire next year!!  Good luck with your last tx - I know you'll be doing the happy dance!

Bonnie - that sucks!!  Maybe they could do your last tx in your arm and you can ditch the port!  Let us know what they say.

Garnetann - gets old being tired!  Sorry about your calf; she was a blessing to you, not a stupid cow.  Think of her and smile.

Gracie - Saying a prayer and sending hugs.  Congrats on your last taxol!  Happy dance time!

DebbieK - you go girl!  Thanks for sharing along the way.  I can't wait to be done with all of it but each parts end is still a relief.

Lisa - I agree - talk to your oncologist and let us know what he says.

Cyndi - Doesn't matter what the situation is - no one can know what it's like till you go through it too and there are still differences.  Just be there now and especially later when so many people move on.

Shrink - good luck w/#2 tomorrow!  Hope this one is easier.

Hoping everyone is finding smiles everyday!!

Dawn

Bonnie, I'm glad all systems are still go for your last treatment.   Sorry you're dealing with the extra stress.   {{{Bonnie}}}  What kind of blood thinner...coumadin?  

Shrink, thanks for checking in, I've been thinking of you!    Hope the rx gives you relief from the pain.   Good luck. 

Bonnie, I'm so sorry this had to come up just when the chemo/port thing was almost done. At least you will be getting your last chemo this week. Terry too! Debbie K., you're making 2 weeks after sound heavenly. Garnetann, it's very sad about your calf. This is the first house we've had that is not next to a cow field and we miss them. All my children got to feed apples and pears to cows when they were toddlers. Cows are so peaceful and pretty. I am sorry your special one died.

I had my second to last treatment today. One more to go, as long as everything is OK. I met 2 women with reoccurences at the center today and that is so depressing. I try to stay hopeful as possible but sometimes I get scared. My scans before I started chemo showed a speck of something on my lung so I will get it rescanned at 6 months. I told the onc December because I want to get it done, but what if it is bad news? Should I wait until after Christmas to get the scan? A wonderful girl from Japan who was our exchange student is coming to visit and we will also visit with lots of other family and people come from all over the country. A bad report would ruin it, but a clean one would be so great.

I was feeling pretty confident that it was nothing because my surgeon said it would not have had time to appear there yet, but the woman I met today with breast cancer in the lung really got to me. Her reoccurence was at 2.5 years. She was on her 20th weekly Taxol today and she was really upset, just frantic, even at 4 months into this 2nd treatment. She says she just stays in her room and tries to read. I spent a lot of time today trying to cheer her up and telling her about this board and the cancer center in Athens and some of the stuff they have there. Now that I'm home I realize she really brought me down. Her tumor IS shrinking with the Taxol and she did not get Taxol the first time out like so many of us are right now and she also did not do RADS, though I'm not sure why because she had 2 positive nodes. All she did was a mascectomy and 4 AC.

Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. I sure hope none of us have reoccurence, but people survive those also. I need to deal with what's on my plate right now and not borrow indigestion from next week or next month or next year! They say if you can go 5 years NED that is very good. If you can make it 10 years your stats are the same as a person who has never had BC.

Hang in there girls. We're going to make it.



Debbie M.

Hey All, just had to check in again. After posting earlier I went to the problem threads on the rad heading and really got depressed. But only a minute group get the rib problems so I should really watch my overly active imagination. Everyone that I've actually talked to has had few complaints



I then went to the success story thread and feel much, much better.



I cut my decadon in half today and should have done it months ago. I feel great even though I had treatment today. I even went to a band showcase in town with the onc's permission. I finaly got to see my oldest performing with her flags with the 400 member UGA Redcoat Marching Band. My little baby was out there all grown up and looking so proud. I just had to cry I was so happy for her. Life is good. God is great. And we are all here. I'm so happy to be here.



Bonnie, you are brave! Shots in the belly? Yeowch. We will be thinking about you. Will they take the port out or let you use it for the last one? Do they take the blood clot out or do all the shots/drugs make it dissolve? I know nothing about this, but I'm hoping hard that all goes well for you.



Starfish, I think we just keep getting mammagrams and pray for the best.



Debbbie M.

Debbie, I think they will try to use the port for my last treatment. From what my niece tells me the blood thinners are mainly for prevention of further clots, and don't really disolove the clot I have. the hope is that it just reabsorbs itself.......but these are all questions I will discuss further tomorrow when I go for my tx.

Terry, good luck today with your last one!! You did it girl! A cake sounds good!

Tomorrow when I "ring out" my chemo treatments, I will ring it for all of us!!

Bonnie

Bonnie - in the stomach!?!?  ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww  but you can handle it - I can hear the music for your happy dance waiting for you to finish that last treatment!! 

Garnetann - no need to apologize - just adding my two cents and seeing that baby as a blessing in your life.  No thing that we care about is ever stupid - even when it makes us crazy!!   Even if you weren't emotional from BC - this event still would have upset you because you care....................

Kathleen - I have my blood work tomorrow for Friday tx so I'll get back to you on that!  I believe w/red counts they give you a shot when your hematocrit hits 10 - mine was 11.3 / my white count was 4.4, just a little below but they said they look at the ANC and when it hits 2 then they give a shot - mine was 3.3.  Such a game every week wondering and worrying about this stuff!!

DebbieM - I am dealing with a local recurrence right now.  It was very hard to hear that I had cancer again but my .2cm IDC w/no node involvement didn't warrant chemo last year so when I found the new lump in my reconstructed breast just as I was finishing up with reconstruction that turned out to be 3.5cm IDC - now my oncologist is hitting me with all the chemo and rads and I'll be doing herceptin till next summer.  Hopefully, this will do the trick since my PET scan was clear, BUT, I know from reading that many women live and thrive with whatever stage they have and even continuing with some kind of chemo forever and I have to hope and pray that I continue on.  I certainly have moments of despair (my poor husband usually gets to hear them!!  ) but I am a glass half full person and go on.  Don't get me wrong, I'm scared of what the future holds but I'm determined to fight till the end, whenever that is.  I look at my 85 year old grandmother and wonder if I'll make it to that age and then I think I better take better care of myself since she has arthritis pretty bad.....totally forgetting about cancer for the length of my thought.  Anyway, it is scary but please don't let it consume you.

Hugs to all,

Dawn

Cyndi, I had a mastectomy and was put on tamoxifen with my first dx which was er+/pr+/her2+, the second was er-/pr-/her2+.   Stopped the tamoxifen right before starting chemo. I'm guessing she'll put me on an AI (hoping to be post menopausal after chemo!) to help with the first dx and there isn't anything for the second dx - hormonally anyway.  You should call the scheduler at the center and talk to them about your appts.  I asked for Thursday afternoon bloodwork and Friday morning taxol/herceptin treatments and with A/C I was able to get Wednesday afternoon for blood and Thursday afternoons for treatments.  I can't imagine that you couldn't work out something so you don't have to give up your class or bowling!  It does get old with life being dictated by our treatments and all the crap that goes with them.  Someone was whining about dealing with their diagnosis, surgery etc for the past couple months (on another site) and I rolled my eyes thinking - well, try it since December 05! (OMG - almost 2 years) and then of course I smacked myself because I thought about the women that have been dealing with this for YEARS and will for the rest of their lives!!!  THAT scares the crap outta me!  Thank God the detection and treatments have come this far and only looks like it will improve!

This Friday will be #6 of 12 and as long as I stay on track will be done 11/9 and then about a month later will start 6 1/2 weeks of radiation................................are you having rads too?

It's so easy to be overwhelmed with all this and you shouldn't apologize for being a downer - we are all here to share and support each other and sometimes we just need a kick in the attitude!!

Let us know what you work out on your schedule and what your onc says about the herceptin.

Dawn

Thanks, Dawn. I started herceptin 2 weeks ago. So you did not receive herceptin the first time? I thought everyone that was her2+ got it. I will have rads after chemo. We'll be doing that about the same time...

My schedule issue is so frustrating. I did meet with the scheduler today and the problem is that my onc sees current patients on Wednedays, consultations on Tuesdays, new patients on Thursdays. So they schedule me on Wednesdays every 3 weeks. I'm seeing a different onc next week because she had an opening on Thurs. She's a breast cancer specialist so I'm ok with that.

On a happier note, last night I went to a cocktail party celebrating the arrival here of a digital mammography van (the Hope Coach). My friend is in charge of the health plan for a big gaming corporation here and they paid for most of it. So it will be at their hotels about 1/2 the time so women can get mammograms at work. No referral is required for women over 40 and there's no charge either. The party was incredible with 2 kinds of pink martinis that people could vote on their favorite and that will become the "official" mammogram martini. I think they are going to serve them at the van to encourage women to get a mammogram. They also gave everyone that attended a Brighton breast cancer charm bracelet. In our state (NV) we have a really low rate of women who should get a mammogram actually getting one. And they are really trying to change that.

Anyway, it was a really nice party and I wish you all could have been there with me!

Cyndi

How nice to be done, Terry.  My Taxol infusion today was a little strange.  After the Benedryl drip, I became very aggitated.  My feet, hands, lips and neck were all tingling.  I had to stand up for part of the treatment or I thought I wouldn't be able to finish.  This was a half hour into the 4 hour drip.  Anyway, a nurse came over and added 1 mg of Ativan to the mix.  In about 15 minutes, I was asleep.  The good news is that the tumor continues to shrink.  Since I never get much enouragement from the docs., I asked him on the way out the door, "Are you encouraged?"  He said "very much".  That made my day!  So, I'm 3/4 done with chemo.  I might have to have more depending on the results of the MRM surgery.  One step at a time.  I just popped an Ativan and hope it will get me to sleep before that tingling starts again.

Thanks, Denise.  The onc nurse explained that it's not an uncommon reaction to the Benedryl given in the IV before hand although I didn't have it before.  I feel good today so far. Hope your 10th treatment goes well.