Starting Chemo in September?? where are you ladies

Hi marietta, was wondering how you've been doing.  Sorry to hear about your husband's mother.  Hope you have a good Thanksgiving.  I had similar experiences with my taste buds (you'd think we'd know by now).  Last week I made spice cake.  It tasted like if you watered down a drink.  Later I made bread, and again when I tasted it I thought I must have not added enough salt.  It wasn't until a third thing happend that it dawned on me it was my taste buds. 

Mary Jo: I'm happy to say everybody decided to come to our place over the weekend to have that get together and I actually had a really nice time. 

I am definately more tired on this taxol.  Its like I get up and have to take a nap.  Now I have the constipation (always have to do the opposite ).  I got hemmorhoids real bad the day the joint pain started, too.  I also feel like I have the flu. 

Thought taxol was suppose to be so much easier??  I am not impressed, but I guess gotta do what I gotta do to get rid of this damn cancer.

Congratulations Janice on nearly being done and going onto Rads. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi everyone!

Janice, congratulations on your last chemo!! YAY!! I hope your rads go well for you and it's great that you get your tx down to 16.  Let us know how that goes, ok?

Marietta, I am so sorry to hear of your mother-in-law's illness and I hope for her quick recovery.  We will all be thinking of her and you during the Thanksgiving holidays.

Barb and Jim, things will get better!  It does help to keep something in the stomach for the nausea.  I hope you both have a better day tomorrow, and hang in there, ok?

Paxton, I'm glad to hear the gathering went well for you and that you had fun!  And I'm with you on this Taxol stuff... not what I thought it would be.  Even my husband can tell a big difference in my overall energy and he even commented on how pale I seem today after my second tx... thanks honey, but glad he's honest.  I so do not want to have that ashy pale sick look, which I have avoided until now.  The steroids in my first Taxol made my face very red, so at least I had color!  I'm already having the gastro problems, mostly diarrhea, but not the cramping... sorry to whine...had my first Herceptin today also, and so far so good with that... at least I stayed awake today even with the Benadryl. My husband's cousin was having her chemo for ovarian cancer and she and her husband sat with us and we talked and laughed-- that helped pass the time for all of us but probably bothered the other patients

I'm off to bed since my husband just left for a few days of deer hunting with his brother.  I miss him terribly already but will join him on Wednesday evening at a little restaurant near where he's hunting for Thanksgiving dinner!  Then he's to hunt on Thanksgiving Day, and I'm going to my parents for Thanksgiving lunch-- so, we worked all that out and we're both happy!  He's such a "deer" man

Take care everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary Jo

Hi all,

I bet everyone is busy at the stove instead of the computer ...  Is anyone else out there is having any major acid reflux and heartburn with Taxol?  Marietta, you mentioned it-- did you have lots of pressure and any shortness of breath with yours?  I have been having problems that seem to be getting steadily worse and the chemo nurse said they may have to give me something stronger than the Zantac 150 twice a day.  I took Protonix for my GERD for several months until it just became too costly.  I'm also still having bowel/hemorrhoids problems, ranging from the "c" to "d" and had just a bit of bleeding again.  I am still taking my stool softener plus laxative-- should I just take a stool softener?  Sorry to whine about such unpleasantries this evening, but I had none of these problems with the A/C... I think I'm just weird   And then my mind goes crazy wondering if all these problems are due to something more serious going on in my body...hopefully not more cancer that they missed on the scans or something like that...  Sorry to be so down tonight but I'm getting a bit desperate and fearful.  Dear hubby is on a hunting trip until Sunday and I guess I'm just having my pity party...  will be better tomorrow!

I sincerely wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

Mary Jo

Happy Thnaksgiving to everyone!

I finished my A/C on 11/16. YEA!!! It was hard on me, in fact still not 100%. Just keep telling myself that I'll never feel this way again! I did go to the eye dr. and he assured me that everything was good. As I said I was scared to death of diabetic retinopathy but he assured me I was fine. He also said all 3 rows of eye lashes were still there, but I have noticed they are a little thinner. Hopefully I won't lose them completely as I'm done with chemo. He did put me on antibiotic eye drops with steroids in it just to be on the safe side and it helped with the swollen lids and the haloes disappeared.

Thanks to all of you who replied to ?'s about the tearing. It's not a major problem anymore only occassionally.

I still feel really tired   but  guess I'll  just have to deal with it. I met with rads onc. the morning of my last chemo. I really like him. I start rads Dec. 3 for 6 wks. (30 txs). One week will carry into 2008 which sucks as far as having to meet another deductible, but what can we do?

In earlier readings someone shared a recipe. I tried 2 new recipes this year and my family loved them. One is for Reba Mcintire's Sweet Potato Praline Casserole and the other is Pumpkin Pecan Pie. If anyone is interested I'll post them. I honestly don't like sweet potatoes or pecans or pumpkin (yes, I am a very picky eater) but wanted to try something new for the kids and they really loved them both. So let me know if anyone is interested.

Hope all of you spent the day with family and friends you love. Peace to us all.

Going to try to survive Black Friday and go shopping the kids. Sure hope the energy comes back soon!

God bless us all!

Hi Methusala!

It's great to hear from you!!  And a BIG congratulations on almost being done with chemo!!  I hope you can stay on the boards and give us some help and info about radiation.  I will be donen w/chemo around the last week in January then onto rads.  How long do you have to wait between chemo and rads?  My dr. said a month- yuk, I say get on with it.

Glad to hear your turkey tasted good!  As for your weight loss, what you lost, I found  but I'm trying to move more and eat better now.

Best of luck to you on your reconstruction and do please stay in touch when you can!

Hugs and best wishes,

Mary Jo

Hi Paxton,

At least I know I'm not alone with the gut problems, not that I'd want company in my misery though.  I slacked off on the laxative/stool softener today because of cramping and the hems are better, but I may live to regret it.  What do you think your chest pressure is caused from?  I have it too. I've never had so many weird sensations in my life since this Taxol stuff.  I'm trying to be tough but it ain't working...

I'm glad to hear you got to go duck hunting!  It sounds like fun-- I've never been but would gladly try it just to be outside.  We scouted our new deer lease last Sunday before gun season opened this week and though part of the trail was very steep, I barely made it a half a mile!  I was so discouraged at my lack of stamina.  Will it ever return?  Don't feel bad about being a wimp, Pax-- this stuff is brutal on us.  But we will be our hardy selves again soon!!  DH is gone all week with his brother on the lease, and at first I was a bit p-o'd at him for leaving me alone after my tx on Monday, but I have ended up really enjoying myself.  I had a great Thanksgiving, plus I have cleaned like mad just to keep occupied plus I've watched some old movies, worked puzzled, read, and had a nice period of solitude.  I think I was afraid of being alone, esp. with my thoughts, but I've been just fine!  And I have kept the woodstove going constantly!  It was 17 degrees here last night-- not a time when I'd want to be out in the woods, deer or no deer!  DH is coming home tomorrow and then we go Monday for Taxol #3 (YUKK). 

I'm glad you had a great Thanksgiving with your friend and I know what you mean about the chemo comments.  I saw a lady today that I hadn't seen in a while and I swear she would not look me in the eye.  I guess that just teaches me not to do stupid things like that...

Take care,

Mary Jo

Bf got a buck this morning muzzleload hunting.  I'm staying in today.  My throat all the way down to my stomach is sore and I feel kind of crappy.  Got tx tomorrow.  I get mine every 2 weeks.  After this one, I'll ony have 2 left.  Hard to believe the light at the end is getting near. 

I'm sitting in tx...bleh!  My throat/stomach was so bad I took a vicodin during the night.  I've been drinking Ensure because food hurts too much.  My onc is giving me "magic mouthwash" to try.  She said it might be thrush which could make sense since I have a yeast infection again.    So I relate to your digestive probs, mj. 

Oh, I got a boquet of flowers delivered from my chemo angel for thanksgiving.  How cool is that?  I've never gotten flowers before so it was kinda cool. 

Well, hope everybody is doing good.  Haven't heard from some of you in awhile.  Hope its because you're busy and not sick.  Take care...

I thought tx went better today than last time.  Last time I started to feel sick during the tx.  And I don't think it helped waiting to see if I was one of the few who has a severe reaction to taxol.  This time they didn't tell me what bags they were hanging and I felt pretty good.  I still got the hot flashes but the rest wasn't bad. 

We stopped at the store after and now I'm home and still feel good.  Bf dropped me off at home and ran off to get an hour of duck hunting in.  He still has to cut up his buck. 

Yes the chemo program is awesome.  Its amazing how getting something in the mail really perks up a bad day.

I'm still feeling good today .  I had night sweats last night and had to change pj's, but Ill take that any day.  Now just to wait and see how the bone pain sets in the next few days.  I didn't have to have a neulasta shot so it might be less.  And my throat, stomach pain is getting better.

Here's a couple of pictures I drew.  The one on the left I drew after laying in bed sick for days.  Underneath it says "crisis" in chinese which translates as in "crisis there is opportunity, in opportunity there is crisis."  The one on the right is my bf with our dog "Miller."  Aren't they adorable??

tri: I had neulasta after 1st taxol and then my onc said as long as blood looked good I didn't need them anymore unless something changed because taxol isn't as hard on wbc's I guess. Hope that helps.

I have to smile at "negative vibes". We all get em, we all feel em but you know I think that through that, we can even feel better sharing them. I know when I am feeling like crap - I come here to find someone to encourage if I can or to share the little I know and my experience with someone who might be as scared or more scared than I was. If I am low, I am quite sure there is someone here who is also low (I don't mean just this thread, but all over the boards) but there might be someone who can make me feel a little lighter. Sometimes, that is by looking at someone who is scared because they are waiting test results, or surgery - hey... we've been there done that, got the t shirt and everything - so I try to remember how I felt then (it's not that long ago) and can empathize exactly with that person - I can tell them it wasn't as bad as I imagined (true) and I can tell them that the waiting is the hardest part of it all (true) and that even if the diagnosis is yucky, you put one foot in front of the other and take it day by day and you get through(also true).

THAT is the part that reminds me... today is just that.. A DAY... and I will get through this too.

I am not saying that everyone should do that lol, or think that, but I know when blue, angry, sad, happy, relieved - it always.. and I can say ALWAYS makes me feel better to come to these boards to help me get throug- h THAT day.

So TriGeek, if there is an inkling of hope that you could feel better, come here -vent, share, get it off your chest, out of your heart, and off your shoulders - We will take it for you - and hold that misery out of your way until you can discard it, or want it back (ewwwww).

  I know, I know it sounds kind of silly to some but seriously - if you can package it up in your mind, into one portion of your day or your life and kick it to the curb even on the short term - it surely helps.

 Not to mention of course all the love and support one receives from this thread alone. SO I thank you all because today has been one full of anxiety for me - and I got to type it out, read how you all are, and be grateful for knowing you because you have beentheredonethat gotthetshirt and know exactly how "I" feel today for today.

Karyll

Hi everyone!

Karyll, very well said!!! Yes, the support here is so wonderful and important.

This may sound crazy, but I spent about two weeks, before Thanksgiving week, agonizing and worrying about recurrence.  And I'm not even through treatment yet!  It was like I was obsessed about it and couldn't get it off my mind.  I am not sure where it came from, but it just hit me out of the blue. I got so down and even my chemo nurse noticed it and recommened that I visit the psychologist there at the cancer center. I reluctantly agreed, then went home and started trying to pull myself out of my funk.  I realized that there is not one thing in the world I can do to make this stuff not come back beyond taking care of myself, exercise, good diet, etc., and that is all.  All the worrying in the world won't stop it, and I realized that if I spend 1, 3, 5 or 10 years worrying about it coming back and it doesn't, look at all the time I wasted!  So, I hope I can keep that mindset with me forever-- I hope I can do like you said, Karyll, just pack up the bad thoughts and kick them to the curb!  Sorry if I rambled about this but maybe it'll help someone else out there when those bad thoughts creep in, and I feel better when I type things out too. Incidentally, the therapist I was to see called in sick the day of my appointment, which was fine with me!  I may really need her one day, but I'm ok for now.

Marietta, I am also having weight gain problems, so you are not alone.  Most days, my skin feels a size too small for my body!  But I can't seem to get moving-- at least you and Tri are making efforts to work out and good for you both!!  By the time I get off work at 5 pm and get home, stop by the store, cook supper, etc., my energy is just gone.  I had planned on cutting back on my hours and that would probably really help me, but I am trying to be tough. But for what ??  I think I will cut back, then go home and do one of my 100 workout videos that I have amassed.

MJ, congratulations on almost finishing chemo and going onto rads.  And I know what you mean about missing your hair.  I have so many scarves and hats that I'm out of storage in my closet.   

Thanks for letting me vent and take care, everyone!

Mary Jo 

Wow Jim, I wish I had Barb's strength!  I don't wear wigs, just scarves and caps, but I have found myself covering my head even at home, in front of my husband, who is puzzled at my sudden modesty.  Someone at work told me I should just do the GI Jane thing, but I just can't. Maybe when I start to get a little more fuzz on top...  Barb's a courageous lady and how wonderful that you see and appreciate that!  And yes, 2008 will be GREAT!!!

Take care, you two,

Mary Jo 

I think if my head was tan, I might have more nerve.  My face isn't exactly tan, but my head is so white-- like it's been whitewashed!  When hubby shaved his head (still keeps it shaved), he got out in the sun and his head and face are the same color and that is nice.  Thought about a self-tanner but my luck it would look like shoe polish on my head...

Pax, are your hot flashes worse with the Taxol?  I thought at first it was my imagination, but my night sweats have gotten worse, and I was definitely in menopause before my dx.  Does that mean I am in extra menopause? I too feel more emotional than with the A/C. Maybe it's just the 'wanting to get it over with' feeling coming out. DH says I have been snappy lately. gee, imagine that.

I hope you get the plastic on your windows soon.  We just got around to taking out our window air conditioner in the living room to store it for the winter, and I had to tape plastic garbage bags over it last week when it was 17 deg. here.  Have you had snow yet?  It's spring here one day and arctic winter the next...