New to CSN - chemo guidance

ldpettit

cahjah75 said:

Welcome
to the bc site. We are here for support and encouragement. All we can do is tell of our own experiences and help you get through the journey. I was dx May 2010 and had bilateral mastectomy June 2010. Started 6 rounds every 3 weeks of Taxotere/Cytoxan followed by 28 rads. I'm the 5th in my family with bc and I'm 62. I'm approaching my one year cancerversary and I'm still very fatigued but life goes on. Know that you can and will get through this.
{{hugs}} Char

Char
Thank you for your post. 5th in your family... that's quite a lot. I have 2 daughters and need to do the genetic testing to see what may or may not lay ahead for them. My mother did not have it at all. My father - don't know his side at all. Beyond my mother I don't know as she was adopted. I worry about my girls ever having to go through this. It's awful and they are having a hard time with the diagnosis and seeing what it does.

Lisa

sunshine0406

ldpettit said:

Char
Thank you for your post. 5th in your family... that's quite a lot. I have 2 daughters and need to do the genetic testing to see what may or may not lay ahead for them. My mother did not have it at all. My father - don't know his side at all. Beyond my mother I don't know as she was adopted. I worry about my girls ever having to go through this. It's awful and they are having a hard time with the diagnosis and seeing what it does.

Lisa

Welcome!
Hi, I am sorry you have to be going through this and I hope things go smoothly for you. I have not been here long ether I joined the end of march but I was diagnosed in sept of 2010. I have a her 2+ cancer too and It does seem like a lot of treatments. I have finished my actual chemo but I am still getting herceptin every 3 week (as you know it lasts a year) I did not get taxol (well I did but I had an allergic reaction so they changed me to abraxaine. I try to take it one day at a time but it gets a bit over whelming especially because I have two small kids I home school (I am tired a lot) I hear exercize can actually help with that but I am too tired to try LOL.

Just in case you still wanted to know er+ is estrogen positive and SE are Side Effects and SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder (a depression that happens usually in winter when there is less sun). All things I have learned slowly along my journey.

kya911

sunshine0406 said:

Welcome!
Hi, I am sorry you have to be going through this and I hope things go smoothly for you. I have not been here long ether I joined the end of march but I was diagnosed in sept of 2010. I have a her 2+ cancer too and It does seem like a lot of treatments. I have finished my actual chemo but I am still getting herceptin every 3 week (as you know it lasts a year) I did not get taxol (well I did but I had an allergic reaction so they changed me to abraxaine. I try to take it one day at a time but it gets a bit over whelming especially because I have two small kids I home school (I am tired a lot) I hear exercize can actually help with that but I am too tired to try LOL.

Just in case you still wanted to know er+ is estrogen positive and SE are Side Effects and SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder (a depression that happens usually in winter when there is less sun). All things I have learned slowly along my journey.

kitty
new
Those kittens are
kitty
new

Those kittens are TOO cute!!

What side effects did you have with the Taxol? The more I read the more I see people having issues with the Taxol. ugh... dreading it... YES, I know each body is different but the word on Taxol seems pretty consistent...

Thank you for your info Marge!

Lisa

Every one is different I started with Taxatere and got really bad rashes.
They started me on Taxol & I was fine with it.

ldpettit

sunshine0406 said:

Welcome!
Hi, I am sorry you have to be going through this and I hope things go smoothly for you. I have not been here long ether I joined the end of march but I was diagnosed in sept of 2010. I have a her 2+ cancer too and It does seem like a lot of treatments. I have finished my actual chemo but I am still getting herceptin every 3 week (as you know it lasts a year) I did not get taxol (well I did but I had an allergic reaction so they changed me to abraxaine. I try to take it one day at a time but it gets a bit over whelming especially because I have two small kids I home school (I am tired a lot) I hear exercize can actually help with that but I am too tired to try LOL.

Just in case you still wanted to know er+ is estrogen positive and SE are Side Effects and SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder (a depression that happens usually in winter when there is less sun). All things I have learned slowly along my journey.

sunshine
Thank you so much for the info...

I'm sorry you have to go through this as well. Chemo is VERY tiring... at least so far on the AC. I have 2 kids... One is 13 and the other is 4. YES, quite a span in age...

I have 2 more of the AC and then head to Taxol/Herceptin. ugh... it's all a bit much some days as I am sure you know!!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!!

Lisa

ldpettit

kya911 said:

kitty
new
Those kittens are
kitty
new

Those kittens are TOO cute!!

What side effects did you have with the Taxol? The more I read the more I see people having issues with the Taxol. ugh... dreading it... YES, I know each body is different but the word on Taxol seems pretty consistent...

Thank you for your info Marge!

Lisa

Every one is different I started with Taxatere and got really bad rashes.
They started me on Taxol & I was fine with it.

Taxol
Thank you for your input... I'm hoping since they are giving it to me for 12 weeks in a row that the dosages are lower and maybe my reaction won't be so bad. UGH!! Darn chemo... blech

Lisa

Alexis F

ldpettit said:

kitty
Those kittens are TOO cute!!

What side effects did you have with the Taxol? The more I read the more I see people having issues with the Taxol. ugh... dreading it... YES, I know each body is different but the word on Taxol seems pretty consistent...

Thank you for your info Marge!

Lisa

No chemo for me, but, wanted
No chemo for me, but, wanted to wish you good luck with your chemo.


Lex

VickiSam

ldpettit said:

sunshine
Thank you so much for the info...

I'm sorry you have to go through this as well. Chemo is VERY tiring... at least so far on the AC. I have 2 kids... One is 13 and the other is 4. YES, quite a span in age...

I have 2 more of the AC and then head to Taxol/Herceptin. ugh... it's all a bit much some days as I am sure you know!!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!!

Lisa

Welcome Miss Lisa .. You are amoung a great
bunch of spirited WARRIORS! Please check out chemocare.com

you click onto your chemo therapy drugs, get an idea of what side efforts may or may not be associated with each drug.

I would like to add .. hydrate, hydrate and just when you think you can not hydrate any more .. drink another quart of water. You may want to purchase Lipton, as well as crystal light flavored individual packets. As well as apple and cranberry juice by the gallon. Anything you can think of to mix in with water. Frozen lemonade worked wonders for me. Herbal tea .. yumm . Stock up on plastic stem ware - as you may get a metallic taste in your mouth during chemo.

If you are a cook -- prepare and cook family favorites. Check into free house cleaning for chemo patients .. Not available in every state. www.cleaningforareason.org ..

Strength, Courage and Hope

Vicki Sam

ldpettit

VickiSam said:

Welcome Miss Lisa .. You are amoung a great
bunch of spirited WARRIORS! Please check out chemocare.com

you click onto your chemo therapy drugs, get an idea of what side efforts may or may not be associated with each drug.

I would like to add .. hydrate, hydrate and just when you think you can not hydrate any more .. drink another quart of water. You may want to purchase Lipton, as well as crystal light flavored individual packets. As well as apple and cranberry juice by the gallon. Anything you can think of to mix in with water. Frozen lemonade worked wonders for me. Herbal tea .. yumm . Stock up on plastic stem ware - as you may get a metallic taste in your mouth during chemo.

If you are a cook -- prepare and cook family favorites. Check into free house cleaning for chemo patients .. Not available in every state. www.cleaningforareason.org ..

Strength, Courage and Hope

Vicki Sam

Vicki Sam - THANK YOU
I'm SO sorry for the delay in response. I got online, then POOF when into chemo land for over a month.

Thank you for your tips. I have found that each chemo has come with it's own food/drink challenges...I do enjoy cran grape juice, but then loved lemonade after the first chemo. It's been trial and error for sure.

I didn't get metal mouth with the AC - PRAISE GOD!

I head to Taxol/Herceptin combo next week depending on the results of the heart test I had yesterday (Muga).

The treatment of cancer is NO picnic...

VickiSam

ldpettit said:

Vicki Sam - THANK YOU
I'm SO sorry for the delay in response. I got online, then POOF when into chemo land for over a month.

Thank you for your tips. I have found that each chemo has come with it's own food/drink challenges...I do enjoy cran grape juice, but then loved lemonade after the first chemo. It's been trial and error for sure.

I didn't get metal mouth with the AC - PRAISE GOD!

I head to Taxol/Herceptin combo next week depending on the results of the heart test I had yesterday (Muga).

The treatment of cancer is NO picnic...

No truer words have been spoken ....
The treatment of cancer, is definitely NO PICNIC !!!! However, with help of our loved ones, prayer and sisterhood, we do get thru it.

Prayers for you :-)

Vicki Sam