How about a "Chemo Room"?

LoveBabyJesus
LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
edited July 2013 in Breast Cancer #1

Hi beautiful ladies!!!

I loved the idea of creating a "Radiation Room" so that the newbies can learn tips about what to do. But have we created a "chemo room"? Perhaps we need one too!

Sending prayers for full recovery and many years of health for all of us.

 

XOXO

Comments

  • coco2008
    coco2008 Member Posts: 418
    That sounds like a great

    That sounds like a great idea.  It seems like almost daily some new wierd thing is happening from losing hair, taste, and memory to pains in shoulders, hips, and nails to getting a sunburn after spending less than 5 minutes outside.

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    coco2008 said:

    That sounds like a great

    That sounds like a great idea.  It seems like almost daily some new wierd thing is happening from losing hair, taste, and memory to pains in shoulders, hips, and nails to getting a sunburn after spending less than 5 minutes outside.

    Coco2008 - What kind are you on?

    Hi,

    Sorry I have forgotten what kind you are on?

     

    Doris

     

  • coco2008
    coco2008 Member Posts: 418
    SIROD said:

    Coco2008 - What kind are you on?

    Hi,

    Sorry I have forgotten what kind you are on?

     

    Doris

     

    I'm on Cytoxin and Taxotere. 

    I'm on Cytoxin and Taxotere.  It's easy to tell these are not good drugs. CyTOXIN and we know toxins are not good for us, and TAXotere and who wants to deal with another tax.

    Sandy

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    coco2008 said:

    I'm on Cytoxin and Taxotere. 

    I'm on Cytoxin and Taxotere.  It's easy to tell these are not good drugs. CyTOXIN and we know toxins are not good for us, and TAXotere and who wants to deal with another tax.

    Sandy

    Love Your Sense of Humor

    I took Cytoxin the first time and hate the drug.  I am on Taxol and it's similar I believe.  I understand where you are.

    I also take Methotrexate (a chemo drug) but for my uveitis not cancer.  As a result I am anemic.  This isn't much fun is it.

    I do like your sense of humor.  In 1994, when I was diagnose the common combo of drugs was either CMF or CAF.  I took CMF which was cytoxin methotrexate and 5FU.  There were jokes about 5FU also.

    Best,

    Doris

     

     

  • coco2008
    coco2008 Member Posts: 418
    SIROD said:

    Love Your Sense of Humor

    I took Cytoxin the first time and hate the drug.  I am on Taxol and it's similar I believe.  I understand where you are.

    I also take Methotrexate (a chemo drug) but for my uveitis not cancer.  As a result I am anemic.  This isn't much fun is it.

    I do like your sense of humor.  In 1994, when I was diagnose the common combo of drugs was either CMF or CAF.  I took CMF which was cytoxin methotrexate and 5FU.  There were jokes about 5FU also.

    Best,

    Doris

     

     

    Gotta love this stuff.  Never

    Gotta love this stuff.  Never a dull moment.

    Right now my face looks like I spent 5 hours at the beach.  All I did was walk next door and talk to my daughter for a moment when she got home from work.  I was out there less than 5 minutes.

    I sometimes feel chemo is on my shoulder waiting for another chance to slap me in the back of the head.

    They seem to come up with so many new drugs.  I'm waiting for an effective drug that doesn't knock you on your tush.  A cancer enemy, people friendly drug. 

    Is this asking too much?  It would sure put a smile on a lot of faces!

    Sandy

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    coco2008 said:

    Gotta love this stuff.  Never

    Gotta love this stuff.  Never a dull moment.

    Right now my face looks like I spent 5 hours at the beach.  All I did was walk next door and talk to my daughter for a moment when she got home from work.  I was out there less than 5 minutes.

    I sometimes feel chemo is on my shoulder waiting for another chance to slap me in the back of the head.

    They seem to come up with so many new drugs.  I'm waiting for an effective drug that doesn't knock you on your tush.  A cancer enemy, people friendly drug. 

    Is this asking too much?  It would sure put a smile on a lot of faces!

    Sandy

    Sandy,  I am on taxotere

    Sandy,  I am on taxotere herceptin and perjeta. I usually never burn,  but I have struggled with face,  eyelids and chest burning from the littlest exposure. Danny says I kind of resemble the invisible man when I go out now - I am that covered!  Not to mention sunscreens galore! 

    I really avoid going out in the middle of the day and our walks are now at the mall or early or late. 

    Good luck!! 

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    coco2008 said:

    Gotta love this stuff.  Never

    Gotta love this stuff.  Never a dull moment.

    Right now my face looks like I spent 5 hours at the beach.  All I did was walk next door and talk to my daughter for a moment when she got home from work.  I was out there less than 5 minutes.

    I sometimes feel chemo is on my shoulder waiting for another chance to slap me in the back of the head.

    They seem to come up with so many new drugs.  I'm waiting for an effective drug that doesn't knock you on your tush.  A cancer enemy, people friendly drug. 

    Is this asking too much?  It would sure put a smile on a lot of faces!

    Sandy

    We Are All Waiting for That Drug

    In a New York Times article title: Promising New Cancer Drugs Empower the Body’s Own Defense System by Andrew Pollace on June 3, 2013.   

     

    CHICAGO — The early success of a new class of cancer drugs, revealed in test results released here over the last several days, has raised hope among the world’s top cancer specialists that they may be on the verge of an important milestone in the fight against the disease.

    The excitement has spread to Wall Street. Shares of Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb, which are developing such drugs, rose more than 3 percent on Monday after data from their studies was presented over the weekend at the meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

    The drugs, still generally in early testing, work in an entirely new way, by unleashing the immune system to attack cancer cells much as it attacks bacteria. That could be an alternative to often-debilitating chemotherapy.

    Finding ways to use the body’s own defenses has been a goal since the late 1800s, when a New York surgeon named William B. Coley noticed that cancer disappeared in a patient who had a severe bacterial infection.

    The rest of the article can be read at: copy and paste

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/health/promising-new-cancer-drugs-empower-the-bodys-own-defense-system.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

     

    I hope they are successful, if not for me for those who follow.  I have seen these kinds of articles so often in my years of reading about new promising drugs.  In the end they either don't make it or don't live up to expectations.  At least these are in clinical trials.

    Nearly 2 years I was almost "run out of town, tarred and feather" on the discussion board about an article that everyone thought was the next great drug.  Trouble was the success was with mice.  The scientist is still looking for funding to go further.  I read once it cost billions for a drug to go from lab to FDA approval for usage.  I am always hopeful but with a prudence from years of watching.

    Doris

     

  • Faith_In_God
    Faith_In_God Member Posts: 76
    coco2008 said:

    I'm on Cytoxin and Taxotere. 

    I'm on Cytoxin and Taxotere.  It's easy to tell these are not good drugs. CyTOXIN and we know toxins are not good for us, and TAXotere and who wants to deal with another tax.

    Sandy

    I had the same drugs

    I took those 2 drugs for 4 sessions, my last one was 5/5/2013. It was no fun. I also finished 30 rounds of Rads my last was on 7/4/2013. Now my energy levels are starting to increase, my hair is starting to regrow and my life is starting to go back to (almost) normal. After my hormonal lab test, my Onc told me that I am one of the few women who suffer from complete ovarian shut down that is chemo induced. Hot flashes are just killing me (sometimes they are 30 mins apart), and I have to take Calcium and Vit D on a daily basis for my bones.

    When I was on chemo, I thought that it will never end, but it did. Then again during Rads, those 6 weeks seemed forever but they eventually did end.

    Good luck Sandy

     

    Faith

     

  • coco2008
    coco2008 Member Posts: 418

    I had the same drugs

    I took those 2 drugs for 4 sessions, my last one was 5/5/2013. It was no fun. I also finished 30 rounds of Rads my last was on 7/4/2013. Now my energy levels are starting to increase, my hair is starting to regrow and my life is starting to go back to (almost) normal. After my hormonal lab test, my Onc told me that I am one of the few women who suffer from complete ovarian shut down that is chemo induced. Hot flashes are just killing me (sometimes they are 30 mins apart), and I have to take Calcium and Vit D on a daily basis for my bones.

    When I was on chemo, I thought that it will never end, but it did. Then again during Rads, those 6 weeks seemed forever but they eventually did end.

    Good luck Sandy

     

    Faith

     

    I know it will end someday,

    I know it will end someday, but there are days when it seems it's the never ending story.

    I go in to do genic testing next week and can't help worrying that my sister, daughters, and granddaughters could one day be walking this same road.  I want to see magic drugs that will protect them (as well as my brothers, son and grandsons).

    I don't want anyone to have to go through this.

    I know a lot of money is needed for research and new drugs.  But how can you find a place to donate where the money will go to research and not have most of it going to the companies sponsering the race, walk, or whatever event.   I don't want to donate for a pink t-shirt.  I want to protect women in the future from having to go through all this to stay alive.

    Chemo is rough road, and I'm guessing radiation is not going to be a picnic either.  I want this to be the last generation to have these experiences.

    OK, I am done preaching to the choir.  Thanks for letting me vent.

    Sandy

  • Faith_In_God
    Faith_In_God Member Posts: 76
    coco2008 said:

    I know it will end someday,

    I know it will end someday, but there are days when it seems it's the never ending story.

    I go in to do genic testing next week and can't help worrying that my sister, daughters, and granddaughters could one day be walking this same road.  I want to see magic drugs that will protect them (as well as my brothers, son and grandsons).

    I don't want anyone to have to go through this.

    I know a lot of money is needed for research and new drugs.  But how can you find a place to donate where the money will go to research and not have most of it going to the companies sponsering the race, walk, or whatever event.   I don't want to donate for a pink t-shirt.  I want to protect women in the future from having to go through all this to stay alive.

    Chemo is rough road, and I'm guessing radiation is not going to be a picnic either.  I want this to be the last generation to have these experiences.

    OK, I am done preaching to the choir.  Thanks for letting me vent.

    Sandy

    I don't want anyone to have to go through this too

    When I was told that I had cancer in January, I remember that I was so scared that my 4 year old daughter or any of my granddaughters would have to go through this (God Forbid). When the doc at the mammography center asked me if I had any sisters (who would probably be at risk of having BC) I gladly told her "NO", although I had always wished that I had a sister. At that moment I didn't wish for any kin of mine to have to go through this. 

    After going through Chemo and then Rads, I didn't want anyone to have to go through this. My Rads sessions were in a children cancer hospital (that was the closest to where I live). I think those 6 weeks were some of the most difficult times I have ever had to go through in my life. I saw and waited with children who were as young as 6 months old. Some of them were on chemo, some were residents having had major operations and the others taking Rads. At that time I thought that although I was having a hard time with my treatments, it was almost nothing compared to what those kids or their parents are going through. I also thanked God that it was me (having cancer) and not one of my kids or any other family member. I pray to God that someday they will have a cure to cancer that is human friendly.

    God bless us all

    Faith

  • coco2008
    coco2008 Member Posts: 418

    I don't want anyone to have to go through this too

    When I was told that I had cancer in January, I remember that I was so scared that my 4 year old daughter or any of my granddaughters would have to go through this (God Forbid). When the doc at the mammography center asked me if I had any sisters (who would probably be at risk of having BC) I gladly told her "NO", although I had always wished that I had a sister. At that moment I didn't wish for any kin of mine to have to go through this. 

    After going through Chemo and then Rads, I didn't want anyone to have to go through this. My Rads sessions were in a children cancer hospital (that was the closest to where I live). I think those 6 weeks were some of the most difficult times I have ever had to go through in my life. I saw and waited with children who were as young as 6 months old. Some of them were on chemo, some were residents having had major operations and the others taking Rads. At that time I thought that although I was having a hard time with my treatments, it was almost nothing compared to what those kids or their parents are going through. I also thanked God that it was me (having cancer) and not one of my kids or any other family member. I pray to God that someday they will have a cure to cancer that is human friendly.

    God bless us all

    Faith

    Amen, Faith.
    I can't imagine

    Amen, Faith.

    I can't imagine what it was like for you to have to sit with all those kids everyday waiting for treatment.  That would be so heartbreaking.

    Sandy