Pet Scan Results
I had the appt. yesterday with my oncologist to find out my results of the pet scan and my chemo plan. The cancer is in my lymph nodes but the rest of my body came back clear. I am so thankful for that.
I will have Adriamycin/Cytoxan as my chemo cocktail and I have to start on Arimidex tomorrow. I was supposed to start tonight but I read up on all the side effects and chickened out because I am having a port put in tomorrow and I don't want to be having side effects from this before the surgery. I will have 4 rounds of chemo, three weeks apart, then a masectomy and then 4 more rounds of chemo. I am HER neg. and ER/PR positive. I start chemo next Thursday.
Lots to digest. I do not know what I would do without this board. Everyone is so sweet and supportive. Because of info. on here I went on Monday and got a filling I needed done and my teeth cleaned. My oncologist was glad to hear that I had done that but I don't think he was going to suggest it. I have to have that MUGA scan soon here too.
Well, that's the update. Love and Light,
Vicki
Comments
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Good morning, Vicki
Glad to hear you have a plan going on now. Sorry to hear it is in your nodes but glad the rest is clear. Better you are getting a port from what I hear. I had a lumpectomy, so I am not able to help you with the chemo stuff, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to provide some sound wisdom.
Keep up your good spirits!
♥ Pammy0 -
I am really glad you have a
I am really glad you have a plan of action! I had a lumpectomy and lymphnode involvement, so I did the chemo, rads and Arimidex. None of it was a walk in the park, so to speak, but I got through it, and so will you! I actually finished my 5 years of Arimidex in February; and I am more active now than I was before cancer! Hang in there, and keep us posted!
Hugs,
Claudia0 -
Vicki, I am so glad to hear
Vicki, I am so glad to hear the PET came back clear. That I'm sure is a relief... Hang in there with the rest of the treatments... we are all here for you. I hope you are able to get some sleep, I know you must be anxious... sending positive thoughts your way, and hoping everything goes smoothly with the port!
♥ & Hugs to you!
~T0 -
Vicki, not knowing is the hardest part...CR1954 said:Vicki...
I'm glad to hear that things are in the works. It's a lot all at once, but doing "something" is better than sitting and waiting for results, or waiting for things to get going.
Hugs,
CR
but now you have a plan, though it is one that no one wants to have, and you will get through it.
Glad you're getting the port, I had one and it made chemo more doable (though, as Claudia said, "Not a walk in the park.") Nothing about this cancer trip is easy, but it seems that drs are learning more each day and that's a good thing.
Wishing you well. Pls keep us updated on what is going on when you can.
dmc0 -
Sorry Vicki that you have to
Sorry Vicki that you have to go through this too. I also had Adriamycin, Cytoxan and 5FU cocktail every 3 weeks for 8 rounds. The chemo cocktail has a cumulative effect, so the first couple of rounds may not bother you. Make sure your oncologist gives you medication for the nausea. Stay on top of the meds, because if you allow yourself to get sick or start to feel nauseas, then it will be harder to loose that feeling. I would take the pill before I went for the treatment, then I would follow the directions and take it for at least 3 or 4 days. Be prepared to loose you hair within 2 weeks of your first chemo. Mine started falling out exactly 17 days after the first dose and I had mine buzzed off. Your hair follicles will start to hurt and that's how you will know that it's time to buzz it off. I'm glad your doctor is sending you for the muga. Basically, it's a specialized ultrasound of your heart to make sure their is no damage. The adriamycin tends to cause heart disease and congestive heart failure in people that have a history of heart disease, so make sure you let your oncologist know, if anyone in your family has had heart problems.
The Arimidex doesn't cause you to have side effects right away, other than maybe a few nore hot flashes and flushes. The joint pain and muscle aches may or may not come later as you continue to take it. Make sure you take 1200 mg of calcium every day as it does cause osteoporosis and ask your oncologist to check your vitamin D levels. Mine had me go on 2000 iu of vit d every day since my levels were low.
Also, get a complete blood work. The Arimidex causes high cholesterol in about 5% of the persons taking it. So, if you have a base line to start with, they will be able to monitor that and know if the medication is causing your cholesterol to rise.
I know it's a lot to absorb, and we feel so overwhelmed when we are given a cancer diagnosis. Take your time to read over our replies, buy a note pad and right down all your questions as you think of them so that you don't forget any next time you visit your oncologist. We're all here to tell you our experiences and help out in any way we can. In the meantime, feel our presence over your shoulder as you go down this unwanted road. You're not alone in your journey. Hugs, Lili0 -
mmontero38-I didn't know that...mmontero38 said:Sorry Vicki that you have to
Sorry Vicki that you have to go through this too. I also had Adriamycin, Cytoxan and 5FU cocktail every 3 weeks for 8 rounds. The chemo cocktail has a cumulative effect, so the first couple of rounds may not bother you. Make sure your oncologist gives you medication for the nausea. Stay on top of the meds, because if you allow yourself to get sick or start to feel nauseas, then it will be harder to loose that feeling. I would take the pill before I went for the treatment, then I would follow the directions and take it for at least 3 or 4 days. Be prepared to loose you hair within 2 weeks of your first chemo. Mine started falling out exactly 17 days after the first dose and I had mine buzzed off. Your hair follicles will start to hurt and that's how you will know that it's time to buzz it off. I'm glad your doctor is sending you for the muga. Basically, it's a specialized ultrasound of your heart to make sure their is no damage. The adriamycin tends to cause heart disease and congestive heart failure in people that have a history of heart disease, so make sure you let your oncologist know, if anyone in your family has had heart problems.
The Arimidex doesn't cause you to have side effects right away, other than maybe a few nore hot flashes and flushes. The joint pain and muscle aches may or may not come later as you continue to take it. Make sure you take 1200 mg of calcium every day as it does cause osteoporosis and ask your oncologist to check your vitamin D levels. Mine had me go on 2000 iu of vit d every day since my levels were low.
Also, get a complete blood work. The Arimidex causes high cholesterol in about 5% of the persons taking it. So, if you have a base line to start with, they will be able to monitor that and know if the medication is causing your cholesterol to rise.
I know it's a lot to absorb, and we feel so overwhelmed when we are given a cancer diagnosis. Take your time to read over our replies, buy a note pad and right down all your questions as you think of them so that you don't forget any next time you visit your oncologist. We're all here to tell you our experiences and help out in any way we can. In the meantime, feel our presence over your shoulder as you go down this unwanted road. You're not alone in your journey. Hugs, Lili
adrianmycin could cause heart disease. That's good to know, I will ask my onc about it. I have a long family history of heart failure in my family...something else to worry about. That could explain why my heart murmur is worsening?
dmc0 -
Yes dmc,dmc_emmy said:mmontero38-I didn't know that...
adrianmycin could cause heart disease. That's good to know, I will ask my onc about it. I have a long family history of heart failure in my family...something else to worry about. That could explain why my heart murmur is worsening?
dmc
that's why your onc has you get a muga scan to see if your heart will be able to handle it.
That's a great idea to tell him about it,and you can ask him about your heart murmur too(it may or may not be the reason).0 -
happy to hear your pet scan
happy to hear your pet scan was clear. Chemo was not as bad as i thought it would be. I found that that taking a walk each day, mall therapy also works!, drinking water, and eating fruits and healthy foods helped. Also, a cup of green tea is soothing. Stay positive0 -
Good news on the pet scanmeena1 said:happy to hear your pet scan
happy to hear your pet scan was clear. Chemo was not as bad as i thought it would be. I found that that taking a walk each day, mall therapy also works!, drinking water, and eating fruits and healthy foods helped. Also, a cup of green tea is soothing. Stay positive
Like you I have to have chemo before surgery , I am in a clinical trial and will have my surgery after all of the chemo is finished. I have three more infusions to go, I also had Adriamcyn and cytoxin. If you need any advice there is so much help on this site. I had quite a bit of nausea with the Adriamycn and cytoxin. If one anti-nausea med does not work be sure to ask for another, don't try to tough it out, I made that mistake and it was horrible. Take the meds before you feel sick. I am glad that you got the port and that you went to the dentist. Please let us know when you will start we will be with you all the way through and waiting for you when you finish. Love Surf0 -
Hi Vicki
Im sorry to hear about the lymphnode involvement but relieved that the pet scan came back clear.
You will really appreciate the port. All of your labs and chemo will be given thru the port. The chemo cocktail you will get is what I have had for the last 6 wks 2 weeks apart. I have 1 more to go then will start taxol/herceptin.
When you go tomorrow, ask for a prescription for EMLA cream. May as well do it right away. Its a cream that you blob on right over the port about 1 hour before they access the port which will make the needle stick much less painful. Put a bandaid or 2 over the cream so it doesnt get on your clothes.
Also my oncologist gives me 2 meds for nausea thru the port plus a steroid which makes the nausea meds work better before they infuse the chemo. They also send me home with emmend which is an oral nausea med for the 2 days following the chemo. I found that the day of chemo and the next day were ok for me but day 2 is like having morning sickness all day and into the evening. The following week I am pretty tired out and have less appetite but by the end of the week I start feeling better.
Hang in there and keep us posted on how you are doing.
Love'
Linda T0 -
Good to have a plan in place...
Great scan results, really good news there. Although both my diagnosis and treatment were different...
Half of my removed lymph nodes were cancerous. I'm a now six year survivor.
Chemo isn't a walk in the park; yet, it's doable. We'll be here for you.0 -
Meds for SEs of Chemo1surfermom said:Good news on the pet scan
Like you I have to have chemo before surgery , I am in a clinical trial and will have my surgery after all of the chemo is finished. I have three more infusions to go, I also had Adriamcyn and cytoxin. If you need any advice there is so much help on this site. I had quite a bit of nausea with the Adriamycn and cytoxin. If one anti-nausea med does not work be sure to ask for another, don't try to tough it out, I made that mistake and it was horrible. Take the meds before you feel sick. I am glad that you got the port and that you went to the dentist. Please let us know when you will start we will be with you all the way through and waiting for you when you finish. Love Surf
Hi Vicki,Glad to meet you, although sorry it had to be through this Board! My treatment was different. I had surgery first, then chemo and rads. I was glad to see that EMLA cream was mentioned to use before accessing the port for blood draws and chemo. You put it on an hour before you're going to get poked and VOILA - the procedure is painless. The nurses where I received treatment gave me a big transparent plastic patch to place over the port area so the EMLA lotion didn't get on my clothes while it was working its magic.
I carried a big black with white polka dots bag (a gift from Susan B. Komen) with me to my appointments. In it were the patches, a book to read, the EMLA cream, a little notebook for questions and answers, a schedule and Chemo record book (all the meds were recorded in it by the chemo nurses) and a 3-ring binder from the cancer center that had chemo and rad FAQs, phone numbers, and a place to file copies of my labs and medical records.
Prior to the the Cytoxin and Adriamycin infusion, I was always given Emend and a steroid. This steroid kept me up all night after my first chemo. After that happened, Ativan was prescribed for the first couple of days after each chemo to help me sleep. You may want to ask for something at your first treatment.
Please keep coming here for support and information. xoxoxoxo Lynn0 -
Glad you have your treatmentChristmas Girl said:Good to have a plan in place...
Great scan results, really good news there. Although both my diagnosis and treatment were different...
Half of my removed lymph nodes were cancerous. I'm a now six year survivor.
Chemo isn't a walk in the park; yet, it's doable. We'll be here for you.
Glad you have your treatment plan going now. The scan results were great! Good luck on your chemo. Keep us updated on you Vicki!
Hugs, Leeza0 -
So sorry about the dirtyrjjj said:Vicki
I'm sorry that it is in the nodes but very happy all of the rest is clear. I will be thinking of you and praying for you next thurs. Thanks for keeping us posted.
hugs, jackie
So sorry about the dirty nodes Vicki, but, good news that the rest is clean!
Praying for you!0 -
Arimidex infommontero38 said:Sorry Vicki that you have to
Sorry Vicki that you have to go through this too. I also had Adriamycin, Cytoxan and 5FU cocktail every 3 weeks for 8 rounds. The chemo cocktail has a cumulative effect, so the first couple of rounds may not bother you. Make sure your oncologist gives you medication for the nausea. Stay on top of the meds, because if you allow yourself to get sick or start to feel nauseas, then it will be harder to loose that feeling. I would take the pill before I went for the treatment, then I would follow the directions and take it for at least 3 or 4 days. Be prepared to loose you hair within 2 weeks of your first chemo. Mine started falling out exactly 17 days after the first dose and I had mine buzzed off. Your hair follicles will start to hurt and that's how you will know that it's time to buzz it off. I'm glad your doctor is sending you for the muga. Basically, it's a specialized ultrasound of your heart to make sure their is no damage. The adriamycin tends to cause heart disease and congestive heart failure in people that have a history of heart disease, so make sure you let your oncologist know, if anyone in your family has had heart problems.
The Arimidex doesn't cause you to have side effects right away, other than maybe a few nore hot flashes and flushes. The joint pain and muscle aches may or may not come later as you continue to take it. Make sure you take 1200 mg of calcium every day as it does cause osteoporosis and ask your oncologist to check your vitamin D levels. Mine had me go on 2000 iu of vit d every day since my levels were low.
Also, get a complete blood work. The Arimidex causes high cholesterol in about 5% of the persons taking it. So, if you have a base line to start with, they will be able to monitor that and know if the medication is causing your cholesterol to rise.
I know it's a lot to absorb, and we feel so overwhelmed when we are given a cancer diagnosis. Take your time to read over our replies, buy a note pad and right down all your questions as you think of them so that you don't forget any next time you visit your oncologist. We're all here to tell you our experiences and help out in any way we can. In the meantime, feel our presence over your shoulder as you go down this unwanted road. You're not alone in your journey. Hugs, Lili
Lili,
I appreciate the Arimidex info in your post. I've been on it almost 4 weeks now, and have gotten some conflicting information. The prescription info said it could cause high cholesterol, my onco said she'd never heard of that. It's a concern of mine because my total chol. is 215 and I've been trying to get it down (LDL has improved, which is good). Anyway, my pcp has suggested I have another blood test in 3 months to see what's what. I'm taking 1500 mg of calcium w/vitamin D, and the generic Fosamax, so I hope I've got that area covered.
-BG0 -
So happy to hear that yourmeena1 said:happy to hear your pet scan
happy to hear your pet scan was clear. Chemo was not as bad as i thought it would be. I found that that taking a walk each day, mall therapy also works!, drinking water, and eating fruits and healthy foods helped. Also, a cup of green tea is soothing. Stay positive
So happy to hear that your scan was clean! Good luck with chemo. There are so many here on chemo, that you will have lots of support and advice.
Hugs, Leeza0
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