New to group and down in the dumps

dkmagraw
dkmagraw Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I'm on my second go around with BC, having had first in '96 on left and this session on right in Oct, 2000. Lumpectomy and some lymph glands removed. I've had 2 sessions of chemo (Adriamycin/Cytoxan). I became severly dehydrated on Monday this week and ended up in the hosptial for 3 days to get rid of empacted bowel. While there, onco DR began neupogen shots. I read some of your comments in the various discussions and wonder if those shots can cause pain to the hip joints? I have been up since 1 a.m. pacing and trying shake off this pain. Is it normal? What can I do for it? Dr. didn't mention pain as a side effect and i'm only guessing that it might be a side effect. My moral went to pot last night and I got really scared because I was sure it was more cancer.
Have any of you had the bowel thing? I though I was drinking enough fluids, but apparently not. I just need to know if I'm suffering from something else or this pain is part of it. I also want you to know that the words of encouragement you give each other have also helped me. I have 4 more sessions of chemo then 6 wks of radiation and I was ready to quit last night. I'll finish the sessions, now that I find I'm not alone in this dreadful journey. Sorry I've rambled so much. Thanks and God bless.

Comments

  • pamtriggs
    pamtriggs Member Posts: 386
    Hi there

    welcome to the group. Ramble on all you like. It's what the website is for. As for your questions. Ask them!! Ask them of your medical team. It's your body & you have a right to know what is going on. I haven't been on chemo (I am into my second fight with cancer after 19/20 years ago having DCIS) but am currently on Tamoxifen. The pain could be bone metastases or something associated with your treatment but insist on answers or more tests. Everyone here has their own story to tell & their own fight to be won but we all help each other so much.And you will learn so much here as well. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER So good on you for keeping up the fight. We will all pull for you & pray for you along the way. Keep in touch and feel free to ramble all you want. Love & hugs
    Pam
  • lucy
    lucy Member Posts: 157
    Hi there and welcome to this great information center that we all have. There is always someone that has an answer for you. I can imagine how you feel with the recurrence of Breast Cancer - but hang in there because the Good Lord will help you through it. I had a masectomy and 4 treatments of the DC chemo - got the nausea feeling all the time and also had the bowel problems. But, I did not end up in the hospital, Thank God. I always had to take pills at night to help me - I took Colace Stool Softener - and also tried Senokot. The colace helped me eventually, but I had a really hard time with it. Especially since they were giving me anti-nausea pills - which gave me the bowel problem. I KNOW that it is miserable and I took the stool softener medication the week that I received my chemo treatments for each treatment. Boy, I wish you all the luck in the world - and my prayers are with you.
    In Christian Love, Lucy
  • jane38
    jane38 Member Posts: 123
    Oh yeah, hip pain, low back pain, bone pain in general are attributed to Neupogen. I was given Vicodin for the pain. As I am older (I'm 62), arthritis has now set in and I have chronic back pain. I had an MRI recently and found that out. Keep on asking about your hip pain though if it doesn't get any better. Jane
  • sueholm
    sueholm Member Posts: 205
    jane38 said:

    Oh yeah, hip pain, low back pain, bone pain in general are attributed to Neupogen. I was given Vicodin for the pain. As I am older (I'm 62), arthritis has now set in and I have chronic back pain. I had an MRI recently and found that out. Keep on asking about your hip pain though if it doesn't get any better. Jane

    dk, sometimes, when there aren't too many messages on the board, you might think that the ladies arent visiting much,. but, all there needs to be is little cry of help wafting through cyberspace, like yours, and you will find everyone is paying very close attention, and will jump right in with words of encouragement and advice. I had a very rough time with first Ac, discussed with doc, and she said many side effects most attributable to the anti-sick stuff, so i experimented this time, and used as little as i could, and am much better. i didnt have the constipation problem, but then i started eating prunes as soon as i had chemo! and blueberries are good too! one thing i decided, when the docs were telling me side effects from treatments, they told me about things five per cent of people suffer from, or 10 per cent of people suffer from. i just decided i wasnt going to bother with those ones! too tedious! one year from now, i will tell you if my approach worked! has to be worth a try. hang in there. love susan
  • patsharkey
    patsharkey Member Posts: 7
    Hi, please don't quit. I have had 4 chemos (taxotere and epirubicin) and I have been suicidal and ready to quit each time. I find that I have too many physical discomforts to mention. They are extremely unlikely to be anything other than side effects of drugs. The neupogen definitely causes a lot of bad pain all over but especially in the lower back, but is needed if you are getting very low blood counts. You can take ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time, and use the spray version of ibuprofen on your back, check doses with your hospital. I have had diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, reaction in the area previously treated with radiotherapy, sore veins, upset stomach from antibiotics etc, etc. Incredibly the treatment seems to be working, and once each treatment is in the past it's worth it. On a good day, plan the care you need, physically and psychologically, to get through the treatment to brighter times. When you get positive feedback you will know your suffering is worthwhile.

    I understand you feel very alone just now, but we are all here for you. Let me know your first name. You are now in my prayers.

    Love from PAT
  • tiger
    tiger Member Posts: 277

    Hi, please don't quit. I have had 4 chemos (taxotere and epirubicin) and I have been suicidal and ready to quit each time. I find that I have too many physical discomforts to mention. They are extremely unlikely to be anything other than side effects of drugs. The neupogen definitely causes a lot of bad pain all over but especially in the lower back, but is needed if you are getting very low blood counts. You can take ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time, and use the spray version of ibuprofen on your back, check doses with your hospital. I have had diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, reaction in the area previously treated with radiotherapy, sore veins, upset stomach from antibiotics etc, etc. Incredibly the treatment seems to be working, and once each treatment is in the past it's worth it. On a good day, plan the care you need, physically and psychologically, to get through the treatment to brighter times. When you get positive feedback you will know your suffering is worthwhile.

    I understand you feel very alone just now, but we are all here for you. Let me know your first name. You are now in my prayers.

    Love from PAT

    Pat, Tiger here, well I am so relieved to see your name back in the swing of things again, I think we were all beginning to get pretty worried about you. You are right, all of the suffering is really worthwhile, anything worth having is worth fighting for!! When this is all said and done, you wont even remember your discomforts, kind of like labour pains,a real pain in the **** at the time, but the rewards are amazing. Take care.
    Hugs from Tiger xo
  • sueholm
    sueholm Member Posts: 205
    tiger said:

    Pat, Tiger here, well I am so relieved to see your name back in the swing of things again, I think we were all beginning to get pretty worried about you. You are right, all of the suffering is really worthwhile, anything worth having is worth fighting for!! When this is all said and done, you wont even remember your discomforts, kind of like labour pains,a real pain in the **** at the time, but the rewards are amazing. Take care.
    Hugs from Tiger xo

    yes, pat, so very good to see yu! and see how strong yu are getting! yu have put up with so much, and are fighting away, and still have time to support others.I am having a good period rright now . one more week to next chemo, and i plan to enjoy it with my sister who is arriving from england today. i like the analagy to labour! so true. i think we all say we will never do it again, after the first time! but the drive to procreate(fancy word huh!) is almost as strong as the will to live. but only almost.just goes to show how much we are prepared to put up with, for the chance to see the next spring, the next granchild, or the next christmas. love susan
  • jane38
    jane38 Member Posts: 123

    Hi, please don't quit. I have had 4 chemos (taxotere and epirubicin) and I have been suicidal and ready to quit each time. I find that I have too many physical discomforts to mention. They are extremely unlikely to be anything other than side effects of drugs. The neupogen definitely causes a lot of bad pain all over but especially in the lower back, but is needed if you are getting very low blood counts. You can take ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time, and use the spray version of ibuprofen on your back, check doses with your hospital. I have had diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, reaction in the area previously treated with radiotherapy, sore veins, upset stomach from antibiotics etc, etc. Incredibly the treatment seems to be working, and once each treatment is in the past it's worth it. On a good day, plan the care you need, physically and psychologically, to get through the treatment to brighter times. When you get positive feedback you will know your suffering is worthwhile.

    I understand you feel very alone just now, but we are all here for you. Let me know your first name. You are now in my prayers.

    Love from PAT

    Pat - It is so good to hear you back on-line. We missed you lady. So sorry about the difficult time you had. But, you are right, it is worth it. I don't believe any of us are ready for the alternative. Too much fighting yet to do. Glad you are back. Jane
  • tekgal
    tekgal Member Posts: 35
    Oh boy do I remember the pain in the lower back that was caused by those nasty Neupogen shots!! I was told that it was from the blood cells multiplying so quickly, that it "expanded" the bone marrow, causing the pain. I found that discomfort to be the worst, and really remember thinking it was cancer, too. But it is not! Think of it as your body building up those blood cells to help you get better! I'm new to the group, but am finding this site extremely helpful. I'm sure you will, too. Hang in there - you will feel better soon! :-) ~ Jody
  • Hi, please don't quit. I have had 4 chemos (taxotere and epirubicin) and I have been suicidal and ready to quit each time. I find that I have too many physical discomforts to mention. They are extremely unlikely to be anything other than side effects of drugs. The neupogen definitely causes a lot of bad pain all over but especially in the lower back, but is needed if you are getting very low blood counts. You can take ibuprofen and paracetamol at the same time, and use the spray version of ibuprofen on your back, check doses with your hospital. I have had diarrhoea, constipation, heartburn, reaction in the area previously treated with radiotherapy, sore veins, upset stomach from antibiotics etc, etc. Incredibly the treatment seems to be working, and once each treatment is in the past it's worth it. On a good day, plan the care you need, physically and psychologically, to get through the treatment to brighter times. When you get positive feedback you will know your suffering is worthwhile.

    I understand you feel very alone just now, but we are all here for you. Let me know your first name. You are now in my prayers.

    Love from PAT

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • julies0816
    julies0816 Member Posts: 16
    hi
    Of course you know you can't quit. I went through the same protocol as you adryamycin.cytoxan for 4 treaments than taxotere for 4 weeks and radiation for 7 and 1/2 weeks. I had diarrhea for 3 weeks after my first treatment. maybe you are just having an opposite reaction. you will get through!!! I have been finished 5 weeks on tues
  • maggie
    maggie Member Posts: 71
    Hi! I'm Maggie, welcome to the group! You cannot give up, and let the cancer win. I know it hurts, I to took the neuprogen shots. The first time I took them, I woke up screaming with my back. I just the cancer had spread. I call the doctor and he said it was the white blood cells rebuilding. Boy, did it hurt. I will add you to my prayer list, just don't give up. , love, maggie
  • cherdaetwyler
    cherdaetwyler Member Posts: 156
    Hi there Mcgraw,
    I too am quite new to this group.
    When my turn comes next week at the AC chemo I will remember you and
    make sure to eat my prunes. Everyone tells me it is the anti-nausea stuff which
    causes the constipation.

    I got all my stitches out on the 21st (all 80 giant buttonholes), a great relief.
    Promptly caught cold which I am fighting so they don't delay my port implant
    as my onco says no chemo without port as my arms are too likely to get lymphedema.

    Stay in there and keep on fighting.

    I be praying for your pain, as will everyone else here.

    That's what I like everyone either has had it or faces it down the road.

    cher
  • tootiefruit
    tootiefruit Member Posts: 4
    down in the dumps
    Don't be down in the dumps. I know it is really hard. I was having the same chemo you are last year at this time. My stomach bloated so bad after each treatment for about a week. It is the chemo doing it to us. You will be constipated. Those shots do make you hurt. My face, neck, shoulders & upper back hurt along with my joints. I laid on a heated blanket. Ibuprophen & hydracodone helped a little. I cried my share, prayed continual, and still depressed some but find comfort in talking to other cancer gals.