New to CSN

Miss Murphy

Don't Have
the same experience as you but I do want to wlecome you to this board. There are lots of caring,supportive people here and always someone that can answer a question who has been thru what you are going thru. I had Stage one, estrogen positive. I just needed hormone pills. Started off on the AI (aromatase drugs) and had bad SE so went on tamoxifen. I still have SE but not as bad. I have two more years to go and believe me, I'm counting the days! I can't help you with any chemo or rad questions but I did have a masectomy with no reconstruction and then the hormone drugs so if I can answer any questions about either of those issues, I'll be happy to.

Sorry you are having such a hard time right now - I'm sending positive thoughts and hugs out to you. Sally

Miss Murphy

Don't Have
the same experience as you but I do want to wlecome you to this board. There are lots of caring,supportive people here and always someone that can answer a question who has been thru what you are going thru. I had Stage one, estrogen positive. I just needed hormone pills. Started off on the AI (aromatase drugs) and had bad SE so went on tamoxifen. I still have SE but not as bad. I have two more years to go and believe me, I'm counting the days! I can't help you with any chemo or rad questions but I did have a masectomy with no reconstruction and then the hormone drugs so if I can answer any questions about either of those issues, I'll be happy to.

Sorry you are having such a hard time right now - I'm sending positive thoughts and hugs out to you. Sally

GayleMc

Katz77 said:

Welcome, welcome....
Let me start out by saying, hello and cancer sucks. Lol
This board is a wealth of information. Course it is our own experience and your docs always should be told about health concerns. So with that said... My treatment very much like yours. Had unimastectomy june09 with er,pr and her2 positive. Depends which doc u talk to,18/20 to 28/30 ax nodes positive. Lol Had a/c,taxol and 30hits of rads. I personally think the neulasta shots is what made my bones feel like broken glass. Ohhh my spine,geezzzz. Felt like bone spasms. I know thats not possible, but my head would pull backwards like a spasm. Advil actually helped more than hydrocodone for me. Heating pad.
I hated the shots. I dont really recall much probs with taxol. Bones hurt, but not like before. Far as that goes, they still hurt, but learn to live with it I guess. I try to walk everyday too. Do stretches, nothing strenous.
Have you had bone density test? If not, please inquire about getting one. Chemo and the meds were on like to eat our bones, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Do you take calicum? Ok enough of my babbles. Again welcome and hope you feel better. This place is open 24/7, 365 days a yr. Oh Happy Valentines to you,Katz

I also would like to welcome
I also would like to welcome you. Sorry you have to be here but under the circumstances you will be glad you are. My treatment was also different from your except the Neulasta which made me very achy for 3 or 4 days. I found radiation to be very much easier than chemo and unlike chemo, I was able to work through all of it. I have just recently passed the one year mark from dx and have so far gotten all good reports. I take Femara and have done very well on that also. This board helped me through every step of my journey and what I loved most was that there was no question too small. Warmest wishes to you.

Gabe N Abby Mom

TraciInLA said:

Welcome, Hippiechick
Great screen name, by the way!

I just wanted to welcome you...my treatment was very different from yours -- I didn't do Taxol, and was fortunate to not have much bone pain from the Neulasta.

You sound very knowledgeable about and engaged in your treatment, so you've probably already tried this, but I've heard many women here mention Claritin as very helpful for the Neulasta bone pain -- have you tried that?

I know that other women here who have more similar treatments will be along soon with more advice -- in the meantime, know that you're always welcome here anytime, with any questions, frustrations or anything else you got! We're here!

Traci

Welcome Hippiechick.
I had
Welcome Hippiechick.

I had neupogin, a cousin to neulasta, and the claritin is recommended by the manufacturer. I had horrible bone pain during the first round of treatments...mentioned it to the chemo nurse. She checked with the chemo pharmacist who looked up the manufacturers recommendation. When I asked the onc if it was ok, he said he'd never heard of it! After he checked, he approved it...no more bone pain for me, and the onc is now recommending it for other patients.

So my advice is, if you're having a hard time with a SE, ask everyone! No one person can be expected to remember everything there is to know about bc and it's treatments.

Please come back and visit us often, as we like to know how you're doing.

Hugs,

Linda

aysemari

Welcome Hippiechick
You are correct this is THE place to come for support. Not so happy about
you having to be here but very happy that you found us for advice and
support.

I didn't have the drugs you mentioned, I was on carbo, taxotere and Herceptin
for a year. I didn't need the neulasta shots, when I offered I declined, heard it
was really painful. I had to take a break due to low WBC once. But all in all I did
ok.

I hope someone can provide you with some good tips on you to eliminate the
pain.

Hugs,
Ayse

sea60

Big welcome hugs to you
Yes, I have LOTS of pain with the Neulasta. I would tell my Sister that I felt my back was broken. My bones just felt weird! It's all the side effect of that drug. All I could do was just lie and rest until I felt better (until the next shot).

I did find Rads to be easier than Chemo.

Hope you feel better and this phase of your treatment goes by quickly.

Sylvia

Texasgirl10

sea60 said:

Big welcome hugs to you
Yes, I have LOTS of pain with the Neulasta. I would tell my Sister that I felt my back was broken. My bones just felt weird! It's all the side effect of that drug. All I could do was just lie and rest until I felt better (until the next shot).

I did find Rads to be easier than Chemo.

Hope you feel better and this phase of your treatment goes by quickly.

Sylvia

Welcome Hippiechick
Uggg Neulasta!!!! Yes, I actually just got that dreaded shot on Friday. I totally understand how you feel about it. It does make your body hurt, makes you feel lightheaded and anything else you can think of. My Dr told me to take claritin and that actually helps. I also take 800 mg of ibuprofen every 5 hours to help with the pain. I'm so sorry that your having a hard time and I hope it gets better for you. Welcome to the boards, you will find a lot of wonderful people here with tons of support.

Hugs,

Dawne

Heatherbelle

bad bone pain here also
Hi Hippiechick & welcome
I had 6 rounds of AC and 2 rounds of Taxotere. I also had to have a neulasta shot after every chemo treatment, and I also had severe bone pain. I was on Percocet (Vicodin was not strong enough) the entire time I was having chemo. Thankfully though once my chemo was over it didn't take long for the bone pain to subside.
I'm on Tamoxifen for 5 years, and surprisingly it's pretty side-effect free for me I still get hot flashes, but NOTHING like chemo hot flashes. And, they seemed fairly intense when I first started Tamoxifen, but have drastically lessened in intensity and frequency.
*hugs*
Heather

disneyfan2008

nice to meet you
sorry it has to be on this board...

This is great place to vent and get advice

joannstar

Had intense bone pain also
Hi Hippiechick.
Welcome to the best place for advice.
I also had intense bone pain on Taxol & Cytoxan with Neulasta shot. I was advised by my onc to take l-glutamine powder(10mg 3 times a day for 4 days) and I also took oxycodone and/or tylenol. I could barely walk for about 4 days after each shot and was terribly constipated so I took Miralax which helped.
Good luck...you'll make it through (I just finished chemo on 1/7 and am starting rads today--WAHOO! almost there).
Hugs,
JoAnn

Hippiechick58

joannstar said:

Had intense bone pain also
Hi Hippiechick.
Welcome to the best place for advice.
I also had intense bone pain on Taxol & Cytoxan with Neulasta shot. I was advised by my onc to take l-glutamine powder(10mg 3 times a day for 4 days) and I also took oxycodone and/or tylenol. I could barely walk for about 4 days after each shot and was terribly constipated so I took Miralax which helped.
Good luck...you'll make it through (I just finished chemo on 1/7 and am starting rads today--WAHOO! almost there).
Hugs,
JoAnn

Hi JoAnn
Congrats on
Hi JoAnn

Congrats on starting rads! Before you know it it will all be over!
Thanks for the tip on l-gluatamine, I will ask my onco tomorrow when I go for chemo. It is good to know that I am not alone in my suffering. So many wonderful women are responding to my posts that I feel almost giddy~

Happy Valentines Day,
Dianne

Heatherbelle

Hippiechick58 said:

Hi JoAnn
Congrats on
Hi JoAnn

Congrats on starting rads! Before you know it it will all be over!
Thanks for the tip on l-gluatamine, I will ask my onco tomorrow when I go for chemo. It is good to know that I am not alone in my suffering. So many wonderful women are responding to my posts that I feel almost giddy~

Happy Valentines Day,
Dianne

Dianne - alot of us are on
Dianne - alot of us are on facebook also, if you're on there, I'm under Heather Kaylor Grontkowski, I'd love to be FB friends
This site is wonderful for information, support, empathy - where we can laugh together, cry together, whine & b*tch together. I found these boards while I was waiting for my biopsy results last summer before I started my whole BC journey & it has been a Godsend. Or rather I should say, these wonderful sisters (and brothers) on here have been a Godsend for me.
*hugs*
Heather

pinkkari09

Welcome Hippiechick, I love
Welcome Hippiechick, I love that screenname!! I too had severe bone pain from neulasta, it kicked my butt worse than anything. I'm praying you get some relief soon and sending positive thoughts your way!!
Mountains of Love,
~Kari