Starting Chemo in September?? where are you ladies

Hi everyone,

Chemo session #3 (of 6) is at noon today. Prepare for the 12 days of hell. Prayers and good vibes are always welcome.

After today we will be half way done with the monster chemo sessions. Barb's white cell count was so low last week that she needed a series of nueprogen injections last week to boost her counts so she can be ready for today.  The neuprogen will now be a regular part of the routine and has its own side effects.

Sadly , we now have a good idea of what a chemo "routine" is. After the drip today,  Barb will feel ok, mostly because the ENORMOUS amount of anti-nausea and anti-side effect meds that they give her. That seems to start to wear off around day 3. Then it is downhill with multiple side effects for about 12 days. Nothing seems to help. Then she slowly gets better until day 21 and another round of chemo. Its both good and bad in knowing what to expect. Good in the fact that you know what to expect and can deal with it the best way possible. Bad in the fact that you know what is coming, and its not good.

We do know that this treatment, although taking its toll, is taking its toll on cancer too!

If we can stay on schedule, we will have chemo on Nov 14th (the only on in November), then December 5th and 26th. The best Christmas present we can ask for is to get  this behind us and start 2008 fresh.  Lets pray this happens.

Sorry to hear your feeling so tired and down, Marietta. It scares me with #3 coming tomorrow. I, too, have noticed a difference in tiredness, knowing that it could get worse worries me. I've been helping my daughter paint and need to help finish up. I guess I will do what I feel up to and know she'll understand. I only painted one night and it kicked my butt. I had to take last night off.

Hope you are feeling better each day!

Good luck to you Barb (and Jim). I am impressed at your support Jim, Barb is lucky to have you. As you said knowing what to expect is half the battle. I'm sorry to hear Barb's se last 12 days, that's horrible. I am the sole support of myself and usually only have 5 bad days, excluding day 1 which is always pretty good. Have you tried talking with onc. to see if they can do anything to relieve her se's?  They say they have meds for everything. I'm switching meds this tx so I will have to wait and see if this works.

Take care Barb! I'm thinking of you.

Jim and barb: I'm so sorry to hear how difficult the tx's are.  I will definately pray for you.  I had maybe 5 bad days each tx, but I get tx's every 2 weeks.  This time I'm on the 12th day of being sick and it has so taken its toll on me.  They pushed my next tx back a week so I could get stronger, but this is the first time I've felt like I just can't do this anymore.  So, I feel your pain.  There's nothing to do but keep moving forward, knowing it will be over.  Its just so so hard.  I wish you luck.

Marietta: so glad you're feeling better.  Hope the constipation improves; no fun thats for sure.  My stomach is back to normal for now so there are some positive things.  I went out for pizza with my bf but it tasted weird. 

livinginboji: I did stop in at the cancer center and informed my onc about the cough/cold/temp.  She said I should use cough suppressant and let her know if my temp was 100.3. 

I was hoping this week would be better.  But when I got home from the hospital, I was full of anger.  It really surprised me because when I was in the hospital, I was so excited to go home.  I thought the anger would pass, but it lasted for a few days.  Now I'm leaning into some depression and anxiety.   But I'm forcing myself to keep busy.  I was able to go for a walk in the woods at a nearby park and out for lunch with a friend yesterday.  I rented some comedies for today.  I'm trying to stay positive because I want this cold to go away and when I'm angry and depressed I always get sick and that's without chemo.  I JUST WANT TO BE DONE WITH CHEMO!!

Dx 7/19/2007, IDC, 2cm, Stage II, Grade 3, 0/1 nodes, ER-/PR-, HER2-

Hey ladies, just playing catch up with all of you. Sorry to hear of the woes of you all in every direction.

I have that dry face skin thing happening too suddenly.

My cocktail is quite different from all of you. I am having FEC (canadian version of AC I think) every three weeks x4 and then into Taxotere  x4 every three weeks.

  I just had chemo #2 and am doing okay. I had it on Thursday and on days 5 and 6I am a wet noodle. But today, Day 7 I am quite functional again although weary. Chemo #3 sounds like a nightmare for everyone. I have two more weeks to go for that one. I will finish the FEC mix on December 20th if all goes as planned... Merry Christmas sheesh... day 5 and 6 fall on those days. It will be a very quiet year this year. 

   I take all the drugs they will give me.. LOL... Zofran, steroids, ativan - sleeping pills. I have to work FT through this so need to stay pretty stable and functional. Nausea is minimal for me..(touch wood) Constipation is unbearable - and I had no heartburn this time because he gave me a drug called pantaloc.

Taste??? WHAT THE HECK IS TASTE? Everything tastes like cardboard and aspartame.. yet again. Very weird. Gatorade tastes Right and that may be the ONLY thing that does at this point. My kids think it is great that we have a steady store of gatorade... lol...well? it works. This taste thing started on Sunday three days after chemo, so I am timing it this time to KNOW when something might taste good again. I know it comes back, because things tasted fine last week pre chemo.

  My eyelashes have started falling, and I learned this because of my eyes gumming up in the morning. The cancer nurse explained that because they are falling out slowly, I may not notice but my eyes know.. and so they start making more tears to wash out what the eyelashes used to keep out. COOL EH?...I am fascinated with this, and wrote on a few threads about it, sorry if you are reading me double... hehehehe....

Anyway, Good luck with all of you as you go through this week and this treatment. I don't like the dose dense things I have been reading from all of you. Quicker, more effective? I don't know - maybe, who really does know but you are all really suffering a lot more side effects to a higher degree.

Blessings to us all - the strength is in there - you all have proved it!!!!

Keep on keepin on...

Karyll 

Hi Ladies,

After a miserable week post tx#3, I came up with the following list just for the fun of it.  I'd love it if you guys would post your own #10 to add to this list.

You know you have almost made it through chemo, when ......

#1.  You check your bald head almost on an hour basis for any evidence of hair regrowth.

#2.  You have used the excuse that you are nauseous (even when you aren't) to avoid eating things you don't like.

#3.  The men (and women, I guess) at the grocery store think you are winking at them because of the left eye twitch that you now suffer from.

#4.  You have your oncology doctor's phone number memorized.

#5.  You are excited about the fact that your fuel bills will be reduced over the winter because of the hot flashes.  But then you realize that your electricity bills will increase because of the fan that you run all night to cool yourself down.

#6.  You use the excuse of "chemo brain" more than three times per day for any work-related blunders or forgetfulness.

#7.  You realize that you have saved hundreds of dollars by not going to the highly overpriced hair salon.

#8.  The staff at the chemo clinic give you a high five when you arrive for treatment.

#9.  Your medical bills total more than what you make in a year.

Laurie

Hi there!

Although I love #6, I guess my addition to the almost made it through chemo list would be "you have have amassed more scarves and hats than will fit in your dresser drawers"!  That sure applies to me.  I'm not doing wigs at all, and I'll have to admit that at first, wearing the wildest scarf and hat possible all with coordinated earrings, was kinda fun.  But, now, it's getting real old. I even dreamed last night that I had hair.  And I haven't even started my Taxol yet, so hair is months away!! Thanks, Laurie, for posting this fun conversation!!!

Take care,

Mary Jo 

Is anyone else's teeth getting sensitive?  I used to be able to eat ice cream with my teeth but now I can barely drink a cold drink from the fridge.  I hope this isn't permanent.  I really don't like these drugs in my system. 

Hi everyone and Happy Saturday!

Paxton, my gums have felt tender at times, and I have a sensitive tooth that acts up anyway but I felt it the other day.  I guess that's another good ol' SE.  Hope yours feels better soon so you can eat more ice cream.

Marietta, I got the gawks this morning when I was in McDonald's breakfast line (had to wait 35 minutes-- one cashier on Saturday morning-- gee).  And you know, I get the most stares from "older" people who should know better!  I thought maybe kids would be the ones to look, but haven't had that yet.  I just go right on and let it all roll off my back though.  We have to.  Let them all deal with this.  And just fyi, I had my teeth cleaned one week prior to my first chemo, and my mouth still feels gross, so don't feel too badly.  You'll get a chance at a cleaning soon!

Trigeek, thanks so much for your advice about the weight gain on my other post!  I feel empowered today and much better!

Karyll, I hope you get your taste buds back in line soon.  Some things taste odd to me, and others don't.  Ice cream tastes the best (thus, my agony over my weight gain!)

Everyone, have a great weekend and be well!

Mary Jo

Oh Mary Jo I'm so glad you mentioned the bandanna website. I was folding my bandanna in half and it was always coming up a bit short. The method on that website is great! Thank you!!!

MJ 

Hey everyone,  

Do we have any Lobular gals in September club. I am in a bind in trying to decide on next action plan re:treatment. Read a research showing that neo-adj chemo did not have impact on lobular tumors(sarghh). I am trying to find an ILC specialist to get a second opinion from regarding further surgery or rads. My oncologist says I might want to consider another surgery ( I had 2/6 sentinel nodes +) but if chemo is not hitting the lobular crap then I want rads.

The third AC is hitting me a lot harder, despite being on Aloxi, Emmend, Zofran,Ativan  I still have nausea on the 4th day and it really wiped me out.

Hey Mary Jo,

Good luck tomorrow with your 4th A/C, I'll be thinking good thoughts for you and hope it goes better this time. My bandanna looked so good on me today now that I know I hold to fold it

Hang in there Trigeek. I hope you're feeling better tonight.

Marietta 

I have my last AC today, too, so good luck with yours mary jo.  I'm hoping mine goes better, too, because its getting harder and harder to keep going.  I'm not bouncing back like I was in the beginnning.

I finally felt like a human yesterday and had a great day.  I spent all day with my bf out farting around.  I used to spend a lot of time with him just tagging along wherever he was going.  We just liked being together.  But with tx, I've been home sick and he's gone all the time.  I'm really starting to miss him. 

We picked his dad up because his dad wanted to check all of his deer stands before hunting season starts.  So while he was doing that at each stand, my bf took me pheasant hunting in the nearby fields.  So I FINALLY got to do some hunting (didn't get any).  I've been feeling so left out these past few weeks. 

I'm grateful I finally had a good day, but today is treatment again.  I really hate this.  I just want it to be over.  I'm scared to start the taxol tx's because of the risk of permanent neuropathy.  So much of what I love do to in life would be greatly affected if I couldn't feel my fingertips.  And I'm worried about the severe bone pain that nearly everybody reports.  I guess it lasts for only 2 days though.  We'll see.

I wear bandanas almost everyday, too.  But I bought several cotton turbans in different colors.  I put that on and pull it over my ears and then I put the bandana on up a little higher.  I think it looks good.  Then, I don't worry about my bald head showing out the back and so on.  And I can wear my hair fall if I want.  I don't wear the turban if I have my wig on though; just throw the bandana on and go. 

Have a good week everybody!

Hey Gals,

Somedays ( the days after chemo) I just tell my hubby 'why don't you just knock me out and wake me up when the chemo is over mid jan'. The 3rd one has been harder to bounce back from, it is my 5th day and the nausea is still there eww... craving tabouhleh and tapanade but at least I am functional in the house and did some pantry tidying.

Pax.. MJ you are done with the red devil congrats !!! I cannot believe that my last red devil is on Thanksgiving day and I will go straight from the infusion to the feast at sisinlaws.. dunno whether it is a good idea but what the heck !

That bandanna site was great thanks MJ !

I too am getting sick of the hat coordinating hassle.. so if I am going to the grocery store I have a sloppy wig, if I am going somewhere nice I have a nice wig.. if around the neighborhood bandannas. At home ' commando !!! '

Urbie, I might do the 3 day walk I will definitely give it a thought since I am a sucker for endurance events. urbie also if you are not taking any supplements for that, eating Activia (dannon yogurt) every day seems to keep my BM's under control.

Karyll yogurt is also supposed to help the yeast infection ( not local application though lol... ).  I use yogurt instead of sour cream on everything seems like a healthy substitution without that much taste difference.

Hope everyone is doing well !

Wow Urbie,

I am so impressed with your enthusiasm! I don't think I have it in me to participate this year but definitley plan to do it next year! I would like to have my own team. Good luck to you!