So sick after 2nd round of chemo

Ctine70
Ctine70 Member Posts: 150
edited October 2012 in Breast Cancer #1
It has been one week since I had my second round of chemo and yesterday I finished my last of 6 nepogren shots and let be tell you what a nightmare it has been. I have never been so sick in my life or in so much pain before. And I know pain I have been suffering with R.A for five years now.
At one point my onco had to give me Iv fluids to hydrate me because I was so weak I could barely stand up.
I knew chemo wasn't going to be easy but I figured if I can give birth to two kids and suffer with my RA and side effects from my heart problems this wasn't going to be that much different. Boy was I ever wrong this is the worst thing in the world chemo truly sucks!
Everyone keeps telling me that I am strong and will get through this but I don't know if I am that strong I still have four more rounds to go.
Yes I have a wonderful husband and support system of family and friends but guilt is getting to me for all they are doing.
All of you ladies out there who have gone through chemo already and those still going through it I take my pink hat off to you.
You are the strong ones and I hope I can draw some of your strength to get me through my next round.
I go Tuesday to see if my ever low WBC has come back up and I pray it has because I can't take another ounce of bad news.
Thanks for listening to me vent, this site has been such a huge help for me and I feel like I know all of you as close friends and sisters.
I hope you all are able to enjoy this weekend and are all doing well

Hugs Christine
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Comments

  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570
    Dear Christine, You are 1/3
    Dear Christine, You are 1/3 of the way through. Chemo is hard, hard, hard...but you can do it. Have you tried Claritin for the bone pain? If you are feeling nauseous, have you tried zofran? If that doesn't work, ativan may help. I remember the drugs that helped the most also made me drowsy and put me to sleep. If the neupogen isn't working, maybe Neulasta would work better. I hope you are feeling better today. xoxoxox Lynn
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    lynn1950 said:

    Dear Christine, You are 1/3
    Dear Christine, You are 1/3 of the way through. Chemo is hard, hard, hard...but you can do it. Have you tried Claritin for the bone pain? If you are feeling nauseous, have you tried zofran? If that doesn't work, ativan may help. I remember the drugs that helped the most also made me drowsy and put me to sleep. If the neupogen isn't working, maybe Neulasta would work better. I hope you are feeling better today. xoxoxox Lynn

    I take my hat off to you
    I take my hat off to you Christine for going thru this! I'm so sorry you are sick. Lynn is right, if you can, try to focus on being one third thru it!

    With no chemo, I don't have lots of advice for you, but, I am thinking of you and I know you can do it. Please talk to your onco about helping you more. They have a lot of meds out there to help now and you shouldn't be feeling this bad.


    Hugs, Lex
  • heart-in-hand
    heart-in-hand Member Posts: 92
    I understand
    Chemo is the worst thing that I have ever gone through. It pumps you full of a drug that is designed to kill (the bad cells with the good unfortunately) and some of us had our butts kicked by it, me included.

    The best advice I can give is try to keep the goal in mind...it is getting to the cancer, and try to communicate each thing that is going wrong to the oncologist to try to find something that can help. For instance, I found that a prescription Prilosec took the stomach agony away, and Biotene warded off a lot of the mouth issues, etc. One symptom at a time, try to keep fighting. They say keep calling the onc, but mine was AWOL most of the time, and I had to try to go it alone a lot with the prescriptions they gave me. So,if you can get through to the doctor, that is the way to go. When I finally threatened to kill myself they started listening to me, but it was already too late and I could not handle chemo anymore. If I had had some support from the onc. I may have been able to make it, I don't know.

    If we could we would crawl through these cyber lines and help you to make it, and give you the meds you need when you need them and take away your fears! I hope that you will feel better after a day or so now and that you can get through this difficult time in your life.

    Gentle hug,
    Kay
  • BlownAway60
    BlownAway60 Member Posts: 851
    Ask your onc about having a
    Ask your onc about having a standing order for IV fluids after chemo. I had "D" so bad with chemo that I had to have fluids with every chemo starting the day after and sometimes for up to a week. It helped me. I also took zofran for the nausea.

    Sending prayers and gentle hugs,

    Donna
  • Ctine70
    Ctine70 Member Posts: 150

    Ask your onc about having a
    Ask your onc about having a standing order for IV fluids after chemo. I had "D" so bad with chemo that I had to have fluids with every chemo starting the day after and sometimes for up to a week. It helped me. I also took zofran for the nausea.

    Sending prayers and gentle hugs,

    Donna

    Lynn, Lex, Kay Donna
    Thank you all for your support, understanding and wonderful advice
    My onco has been great with giving meds for the pain, and heartburn my bathroom looks like a drug store lol
    I know that the I need to look towards the end result but that road just looks o far away and when I think about having to go through all this again in two weeks I just want to cry. This has been the hardest thing I ever had to do.
    You are all angels thank you
    Hugs Christine
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    I am so sorry that you are
    I am so sorry that you are having to go through chemo--especially with RA. That sucks!

    I did get very ill with chemo and did have to have IV fluids after just the first round. The chemo nurse that I had then, Cynthia (an angel), took me aside and suggested some meds to help me get through. They really helped!

    My WBC, never high, very gradually came back up to my normal (3-4). There was no neupogen in 1987, so there were times when I had to skip chemo (my WBC was <1). That upset me sooo much!!! My onc just said a low WBC means the drugs are effectively figthing your cancer-that made me feel a little better.

    I worked through chemo (excepting that first very bad session) and, even though I was exposed to all manner of icky bugs at the hospital where I work, I never got sick.

    While your WBC is low I am a firm believer in avoiding crowds, sick people and not shaking hands. When you do shake hands, discreetly use a hand sanitizer as soon as possible (or just wash your hands).

    And now, here I am 25 years later! And it is all just a small, bad memory after all these years. Hang in there Christine. I am praying for you and so glad you have a good support system.
  • Wendy Joy
    Wendy Joy Member Posts: 51
    Start taking Claritin 2 days
    Start taking Claritin 2 days before getting your shot and keep taking for a few days after you get your chemo. That helped me tremendously with the body aches. Also I took Ativan for extra nausea that the zofran didn't get. And like clockwork 5 days after my chemo I started getting diarhea. Finally got smart and started doing the BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce, toast)on day 5 for a 2 to 3 days. Effexor completely stopped my hot flashes. It is the hardest thing I ever did in my life. Now it is almost 6 months behind me and I feel so good and strong. I even have hair again (very curly)!!! When people ask me how I am doing I say "I feel normal" and that is the best I can hope for. Good luck, you can do it!!!!!
  • Ctine70
    Ctine70 Member Posts: 150
    Wendy Joy said:

    Start taking Claritin 2 days
    Start taking Claritin 2 days before getting your shot and keep taking for a few days after you get your chemo. That helped me tremendously with the body aches. Also I took Ativan for extra nausea that the zofran didn't get. And like clockwork 5 days after my chemo I started getting diarhea. Finally got smart and started doing the BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce, toast)on day 5 for a 2 to 3 days. Effexor completely stopped my hot flashes. It is the hardest thing I ever did in my life. Now it is almost 6 months behind me and I feel so good and strong. I even have hair again (very curly)!!! When people ask me how I am doing I say "I feel normal" and that is the best I can hope for. Good luck, you can do it!!!!!

    Thank you
    Thank you for your wonderful advice. I have to check with my dr. About the Claritin cause I have a heart condition and can't take certain things.
    I cant wait to feel normal again. Glad to hear that you are done with chemo and are doing well
    Hugs Christine
  • debsweb18
    debsweb18 Member Posts: 191 Member
    Christine
    So sorry you're feeling so bad. I didn't have chemo so I can't imagine. Hope you feel better soon!

    Deb
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    Ctine70 said:

    Thank you
    Thank you for your wonderful advice. I have to check with my dr. About the Claritin cause I have a heart condition and can't take certain things.
    I cant wait to feel normal again. Glad to hear that you are done with chemo and are doing well
    Hugs Christine

    Christine, Check with you
    Christine, Check with you doctor, but mine said claritin is fine for me. I had a heart attack in 2008. Claritin-D is NOT ok as the decongestant can be a heart stimulant.
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    debsweb18 said:

    Christine
    So sorry you're feeling so bad. I didn't have chemo so I can't imagine. Hope you feel better soon!

    Deb

    Christine, my heart goes out to you
    You are officially on my nightly prayer list. I know how hard chemo can be--had 6 rounds of TAC in 2010. It's rough--but you can do this. Please accept any help that is offered to you, rest and relax when you can, use meditation to help you stay strong mentally and know that there are many of us who have been where you are, made it through and are pulling for you.

    Love and hugs, Renee
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    Ctine70 said:

    Lynn, Lex, Kay Donna
    Thank you all for your support, understanding and wonderful advice
    My onco has been great with giving meds for the pain, and heartburn my bathroom looks like a drug store lol
    I know that the I need to look towards the end result but that road just looks o far away and when I think about having to go through all this again in two weeks I just want to cry. This has been the hardest thing I ever had to do.
    You are all angels thank you
    Hugs Christine

    My heart breaks knowing how
    My heart breaks knowing how hard chemo is on you. That road is getting closer and we will all be there with you to celebrate. Keep fighting, take your meds, stay hydrated and come here to vent all you want. We get it!


    Hugs, Angie
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    missrenee said:

    Christine, my heart goes out to you
    You are officially on my nightly prayer list. I know how hard chemo can be--had 6 rounds of TAC in 2010. It's rough--but you can do this. Please accept any help that is offered to you, rest and relax when you can, use meditation to help you stay strong mentally and know that there are many of us who have been where you are, made it through and are pulling for you.

    Love and hugs, Renee

    Just my 2 cents ...
    I suffered endlessly from chemo side efforts ---

    Just a few suggestions that I found that helped me.

    First of all, it is okay to be anxious of the unknown -- Please don't allow this
    anxiety to get the best of you. Remember to alert your Onco RN of any unusual
    feelings etc .. a list of possible side efforts, which should be presented to
    you before your first chemo infusion


    It is so important to remain and continue hydration, water - water, and more
    water. Splash in a little lemonade, cranberry juice -- or prepackaged crystal
    light, or Lipton Tea. Herbal Tea's also work for a change of pace.

    If you are getting the neulasta shot -- Please ask your Oncologist about taking
    a benadryl --
    or claritin -- which many of us === swear by -- as they help alleviate that
    'just run over by a truck' aches and pains - some of us experience from the
    neulasta shot.

    Ask for prescriptions for nausea and vomiting -- as well as diarrhea.

    Plastic silverware is a must ---
    biotin toothpaste and mouthwash is a daily essential
    (available at most Target or WalMart)

    Food is subjective -- depending on your personal needs and taste buds .. What
    taste good or was tolerable 1 week -- changed for me, the very next. I could not
    tolerate any foods with sugar, i.e. ketchup, or cola's.

    Frequent small snack meals. Whole grains, potatoes, and fruits sit better with
    most folks compared to meat, fat, and spicy dishes. Small custards (like egg
    custard, corn custard, pumpkin pie custard) might go down easily and provide
    protein and needed calories. The old fashioned kind of oatmeal tastes a whole
    lot better.

    Ginger for your nausea -- many Sisters in PINK swear by Ginger.

    To help prevent mouth sores -- suck on ice chips during all chemo treatments.

    Rest when you can, as some chemo queens have bouts of insomnia ---

    Take goodies to entertain yourself during your infusions -- games, books,
    friend, a snack, IPOD, laptop ...

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam
  • Ctine70
    Ctine70 Member Posts: 150
    VickiSam said:

    Just my 2 cents ...
    I suffered endlessly from chemo side efforts ---

    Just a few suggestions that I found that helped me.

    First of all, it is okay to be anxious of the unknown -- Please don't allow this
    anxiety to get the best of you. Remember to alert your Onco RN of any unusual
    feelings etc .. a list of possible side efforts, which should be presented to
    you before your first chemo infusion


    It is so important to remain and continue hydration, water - water, and more
    water. Splash in a little lemonade, cranberry juice -- or prepackaged crystal
    light, or Lipton Tea. Herbal Tea's also work for a change of pace.

    If you are getting the neulasta shot -- Please ask your Oncologist about taking
    a benadryl --
    or claritin -- which many of us === swear by -- as they help alleviate that
    'just run over by a truck' aches and pains - some of us experience from the
    neulasta shot.

    Ask for prescriptions for nausea and vomiting -- as well as diarrhea.

    Plastic silverware is a must ---
    biotin toothpaste and mouthwash is a daily essential
    (available at most Target or WalMart)

    Food is subjective -- depending on your personal needs and taste buds .. What
    taste good or was tolerable 1 week -- changed for me, the very next. I could not
    tolerate any foods with sugar, i.e. ketchup, or cola's.

    Frequent small snack meals. Whole grains, potatoes, and fruits sit better with
    most folks compared to meat, fat, and spicy dishes. Small custards (like egg
    custard, corn custard, pumpkin pie custard) might go down easily and provide
    protein and needed calories. The old fashioned kind of oatmeal tastes a whole
    lot better.

    Ginger for your nausea -- many Sisters in PINK swear by Ginger.

    To help prevent mouth sores -- suck on ice chips during all chemo treatments.

    Rest when you can, as some chemo queens have bouts of insomnia ---

    Take goodies to entertain yourself during your infusions -- games, books,
    friend, a snack, IPOD, laptop ...

    Strength, Courage and Hope.

    Vicki Sam

    So grateful
    I am so grateful to all my pink sister with your wonderful advice, and much needed given strength
    Thank you all so very much
    Huge Christine
  • ksf56
    ksf56 Member Posts: 202
    Christine
    I am so sorry you are feeling so miserable! I feel for you - I've been there! I look back and get chills up my spine when I think about it. But I got through it altho I didn't think I would. Don't feel guilt for accepting help - just absorb the love it's given with - it helps you get through all of the treatment. I finished chemo in Jan. 2012 and radiation in March 2012 and I'm in pretty good shape and I'm so happy to be on this side of all that nasty. Always feel free to share how you feel with everyone here - we do understand. Take it one day at a time - see each day as an accomplishment since you got through the day.

    With prayers and hugs!
    Karen
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    Ctine70 said:

    So grateful
    I am so grateful to all my pink sister with your wonderful advice, and much needed given strength
    Thank you all so very much
    Huge Christine

    I am so very sorry Christine
    I am so very sorry Christine that chemo has hit you so hard. Sending lots of positive thoughts and prayers.

    Keep us posted as to how you're feeling. We worry about you.


    Hugs, Diane
  • Noel
    Noel Member Posts: 3,095 Member
    Wendy Joy said:

    Start taking Claritin 2 days
    Start taking Claritin 2 days before getting your shot and keep taking for a few days after you get your chemo. That helped me tremendously with the body aches. Also I took Ativan for extra nausea that the zofran didn't get. And like clockwork 5 days after my chemo I started getting diarhea. Finally got smart and started doing the BRAT (banana, rice, applesauce, toast)on day 5 for a 2 to 3 days. Effexor completely stopped my hot flashes. It is the hardest thing I ever did in my life. Now it is almost 6 months behind me and I feel so good and strong. I even have hair again (very curly)!!! When people ask me how I am doing I say "I feel normal" and that is the best I can hope for. Good luck, you can do it!!!!!

    Not happy to read how
    Not happy to read how miserable you are Christine. I am just so sorry for you. I hope that something written here can help you or your onco can give you something else to ease your side effects.


    Hugs, Noel
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    ksf56 said:

    Christine
    I am so sorry you are feeling so miserable! I feel for you - I've been there! I look back and get chills up my spine when I think about it. But I got through it altho I didn't think I would. Don't feel guilt for accepting help - just absorb the love it's given with - it helps you get through all of the treatment. I finished chemo in Jan. 2012 and radiation in March 2012 and I'm in pretty good shape and I'm so happy to be on this side of all that nasty. Always feel free to share how you feel with everyone here - we do understand. Take it one day at a time - see each day as an accomplishment since you got through the day.

    With prayers and hugs!
    Karen

    I am so sorry. Sending lots
    I am so sorry. Sending lots of hugs!
  • mom62
    mom62 Member Posts: 604 Member
    Sorry to Hear
    Christine,

    I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with your chemo. I'm sorry I don't know what kind you are on so I don't have much advice for that. I have RA myself and was suffering two years before I got cancer. I did 4 A/C 4 Taxol and nuprogen shots. I ended up being very anemic and had to have procrit shots as well. I want to let you know that you will get through this and you will come out on the other side. I found counting down to the last chemo helpful. I also found planning something special for the end like a weekend away was helpful too. Guilt is part of it as well. People cooking meals, taking care of your kids etc., but you need to take the help and realize everyone loves you. Don't feel bad about it they wouldn't do it if they didn't want to. Try to watch something funny to lift your spirits a little. We are always here for you if you want to vent.

    ((hugs))
    Terry
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    mom62 said:

    Sorry to Hear
    Christine,

    I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with your chemo. I'm sorry I don't know what kind you are on so I don't have much advice for that. I have RA myself and was suffering two years before I got cancer. I did 4 A/C 4 Taxol and nuprogen shots. I ended up being very anemic and had to have procrit shots as well. I want to let you know that you will get through this and you will come out on the other side. I found counting down to the last chemo helpful. I also found planning something special for the end like a weekend away was helpful too. Guilt is part of it as well. People cooking meals, taking care of your kids etc., but you need to take the help and realize everyone loves you. Don't feel bad about it they wouldn't do it if they didn't want to. Try to watch something funny to lift your spirits a little. We are always here for you if you want to vent.

    ((hugs))
    Terry

    Are you feeling any better
    Are you feeling any better Christine? I pray that you are.


    Hugs, Lex