Anyone starting Chemo in August 07?

I was thinking about this, as well. It's just so sad. Maybe we can find out if a fund will be set up for his boys, and we can make donations. Or, maybe he'd like donations made to some bc organization. Just a thought.

TX #3 and then one to go! Hope you're all doing well.

Eve

Eve- good luck with tx # 3....you're almost there.  Wonderful.

Harley--i believe tomm is your last tx...fantastic!!!

My thoughts and prayers are with you both and to anyone else who is having anything done. 

Hugs, Jackie

OK, I've sent Jeremy a PM. Hopefully he will get it.

I'm glad you're going to make the San Diego lunch, Kaye. I wish I could go, but there's just no way. I feel like crap. My liver enzymes doubled again, this time over three days. The AST/ALT are now borderline Grade 3 toxicity, and this was before my third round last week. I feel like the onc is being a bit casual about it all. I see her again next week, and I hope she'll order another extra liver panel before tx #4. I have 6 treatments planned, and I'd prefer that my liver not fail before I'm done, thank you very much.

I'd like to ask for prayers for my mom, please. She's Stage IV bc, and has been on every chemo imaginable for the past five years. We're starting to run out of options, and she's been having a lot of shortness of breath issues that the docs are having trouble resolving. She's going for some more scans next week--some sort of special CT/angiogram that will show pulmonary emboli and lung mets smaller that what the PET can pick up. Hopefully at least we can get a clearer picture of what's causing her symptoms. She also has mets to the pericardium, and I'm so afraid her heart will just give out.

Sorry to be a downer when others are going out to celebrate, but some days I get a little sick of the cancer thing at our house. I'm tired of going to the cancer center every day, either for me or my mom, sometims twice a day, and often with my children. I know the situation could be worse, but frankly it could also be a hell of a lot better. 

OK, pity party over. Thanks for listening. 

Hey Everyone,

I think the last time I posted was the day after my 1st. Taxol.  So....I'm reporting in ladies!   Don't know if I mentioned it but while seeing the NP at the cancer center I asked her to look at my mouth (had been very sore for several days).  She did and said she didn't really see anything to be concerned about, just some mild irritation.  Well, by late Saturday my throat, ears, and mouth were so sore I was in agony...couldn't swallow.  Thinking that I had picked up a nasty bug (please God, not strep) I phoned the NP on call and she called in some Levaquin for me.  Took it immediately and went to bed.  Woke Sunday to a mouth and throat that can only be described as 'gruesome'.  Here's me....back on the phone telling the weekend NP that I've got full blown thrush and I know it's already started down the esophagus because of all the burning I'm having.  She was  really very nice but talked about I probably should wait until Monday and be seen.  We had a very short discussion regarding the fact that I was in agony and d.......well wasn't going to wait until "sometime" Monday when "someone" would see me....thank you so kindly for understanding Sweet Pea!!!!    Well, I got the anti-fungal drugs and started them stat, mouth is still not pretty but at least if I spray my throat with enough Chloraseptic I can swallow....so I am grateful.  As for the rest I've felt much better on the Taxol than the A/C except I did start with the bone pain really badly on Sunday.  It seems to jump around to different bony areas and hurt intensely for a few minutes and then stop or go to a different area.  Have any of you had this with the Taxol?  I have been coping with the pain and working but at night it hurts too much to sleep and I'm having to take something.  My real fear is, will this bone pain be cummulative like with a lot of the other se's.....more you have, worse it gets? 

To everyone who is planning their celebration parties:  you go ladies and I wish each of us could be there physically to give you your medals.....including the most important one: The Badge of Courage.  For you have truly paid dearly for it and have been a beacon on dark sick nights for ALL of us that came behind. There is no way to properly thank any of you all except to say that we will do our best to keep our beacons lit for our sisters behind us.....just as you've taught us.  Thank you all and don't you dare think you're getting away from us though!!!

To everyone starting new txs. or just getting a routine this week, may  all the good forces in the universe be with you all. 

Nash, I'm praying honey.

June

Nash,

I am truly sorry for all you have to go through.  I'll pray for your Mom, I hope she doesn't have to go through any more pain. I'll pray for you and your family.  It must be horrible to have two family members going through the same thing.  And to be a caretaker of someone who is so sick while you are going through your own ordeal is very unfair.  I'm glad you have a place to vent and you are definitely not a downer...just a person who is going through more than you deserve.  Hang in there.  Be strong.

Lots of hugs, Jackie

June - I'm so sorry you had such terrible mouth troubles. I had my first Taxol on Friday too, but oddly enough, the mouth soreness I was having actually went away the next day! So, one major odd side-effect taken care of. Now I just have to fix that pesky fissure of mine, and I'll be feeling almost normal! I did have a bit of pain in the lower back after treatment, though, and noticed that my fingertips were a bit more sensitive, but the back pain was more muscular, not bone pain. I'm not getting Nuelasta since I'm doing weekly, so maybe that's why no bone pain. I hope it improves for you along with the thrush. Yeesh. Sounds like no fun at all. Just from the few days of my mouth being so sore I could hardly eat, I feel for you!

Nash- I know how tired I get of thinking about cancer, and I only have myself to worry about. You are one strong lady as is your mom, and you'll be getting a boatload of prayers coming from Minnesota!

Harley - congrats to you on being done. You've earned your celebration! 

Peace and love to all of you tonight!

DeAnn  

Thank you so much for the support, ladies. It means a lot to me.

Harley, please don't apologize for celebrating--you and every one else deserve every minute of it. I am so happy for everyone who is doing well--it's a mood lifter for me when things seem bleak.

June--that is some gnarly thrush you have going there. Yikes. Down the esophogus is some serious crap. Hope that resolves soon.

Kaye--hope your mouth is better soon, too. Blech. And your poor toushey. 

I'm currently in the "tastes like an old sock" phase of mouth existence, which is nothing compared to what you gals have.  

As far as the Taxol goes, my mom's main problem with it was neuropathy. She did have some bone pain, but she said it's so hard to sort out what's what, like Kaye said.

Have a good night, everyone! 

Kaye,

Congratulations to BOTH of us, being finished with our chemo txs!

Sorry about your mouth troubles...

I had some of that ... whatever it is, when your skin falls off the bottom of your feet...  I thought they were blisters, but then I pulled the skin off, and it seemed better, but there still seems to be something going on there... and of course, the LE issue with my swollen hand...  but, I try not to think of these things, and just be glad that the txs are OVER!!!

Hugs,

Harley

Harley--do they think the lymphadema in your hand is from getting that neulasta shot in that arm that one time? Also, I couldn't remember how many nodes you'd had out. I was thinking about you b/c my mom's lymphadema is really bad, and I was glad you were getting help from the LE clinic. Glad you had a good time last night! That's so cool that your friends are so supportive.

Thanks, Harley. That stinks about the shot setting the LE off--I remember you were worried about that. So unnecessary on the part of the nurse.

That is really good you're getting such good manangement of the situation, though. It seems like every time my mom decides to go to a LE person, something else comes up that needs attention, like her pleural effusion. It's so frustrating. Plus, she's been really bad over the years about doing the excercises and being careful not to overuse the arm, etc. So a lot of it is her ignoring the arm and having it get bad. She's had several bouts of cellulitis as a result of the LE. One thing, though, is that her LE also gets worse when she's on a lot of IV chemo. She was on all oral chemo for a couple of months recently, and the swelling in the arm really went down. So I'm wondering if the combination of them pumping fluid out of your arm and you being done with chemo will really help things. Plus the exercises and sleeve. 

Yay on the clean nodes, all 16 of them!  

Harley, that is totally nuts that the nurses would even consider putting an IV in your left arm!!! Good grief! Even w/o the LE, with an axillary dissection on that side, they shouldn't even be sneezing in the vicinity of your arm. Sheesh!

Nash,

Yep, that is what I was thinking... the 1st nurse asked me how long ago I had my mast?  I just stammered and said ...  Oh, I think THREE months.... but it was 5 months... but I STILL don't want anyone touching that arm!!  I think that the medical industry REALLY needs to be informed about LE and it's consequences, if not treated properly...

Those exercises are really too easy!  You massage the arm, and you are supposed to use a 'light' touch... very light!  In fact, the therapist chided me for touching it too hard!  It will be hard to get used to those exercise...massages!  I am way too tired today to even try them, but I should get started tomorrow maybe.

Harley

June,

Thanks!  It was really nice to celebrate with friends, and just think... This part is OVER!!  That was my LAST TX!!

My dh was not allowed to go into the treatment room with me and stay with me...  I wish he could have, but they made him leave.

He didn't go with me when I got the Neulasta shot today, either...  he sat in the front waiting room, but I doubt it really mattered all that much.  I noticed that they changed the place where you get the Neulasta shot... it's in one of the exam rooms... probably because I insisted the last 2 times to have the Neulasta shot in my stomach, and I guess they saw me there, with my pants halfway down, getting my shot, and thought...  maybe we should have a private area for getting the shots??   DUH!!

Yes, we must be our own advocates...

Best wishes,

Harley