6th chemo tomorrow

rallendorfer
rallendorfer Member Posts: 244
edited August 2012 in Breast Cancer #1
I have to face the dragon again tomorrow and I am afraid. 3 treatments left of Taxotere. It went right to my kidneys last time, but they said it wouldn't this time...probably. I have 3 tumors in my left breast they are trying to shrink in order to decide if I should have a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Tumors are shrinking, but I can't help but wonder how they can do 3 lumpectomies.

The chemo makes me so sick, I just HATE to face this again. Virtual friends here are wonderful, but sometimes I think a real, warm human hug would be nice.

Comments

  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    Wish I could give you a
    Wish I could give you a nice, warm human hug. I am sending lots of cyber ones to you!


    Good luck today,


    Angie
  • zigman
    zigman Member Posts: 11
    6th treatment
    I so know where you are coming from on this. I have my 6th BIG treatment on the 27th. While I am excited for it being my last BIG one I dread it with a passion. I wonder if you ever can feel strong and well "normal" ever again! Good news that the tumors are shrinking. Wouldn't you just have one lumpectomy to remove all the tumors? I had a lumpectomy first. Taxotere is nasty. The eye tearing is driving me insane!! Wishing you the best with your 6th and sending a great big bear hug your way!! Keep the faith!!
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    zigman said:

    6th treatment
    I so know where you are coming from on this. I have my 6th BIG treatment on the 27th. While I am excited for it being my last BIG one I dread it with a passion. I wonder if you ever can feel strong and well "normal" ever again! Good news that the tumors are shrinking. Wouldn't you just have one lumpectomy to remove all the tumors? I had a lumpectomy first. Taxotere is nasty. The eye tearing is driving me insane!! Wishing you the best with your 6th and sending a great big bear hug your way!! Keep the faith!!

    I hate that you are scared
    but I sure do know the feeling all too well. If I could, I would run right over to your house, give you the biggest, warmest, tightest hug ever.

    Hang in there--you can and you will do this. If you believe in a higher power--ask for help to have courage and peace during your treatment. That was my prayer last week right before my mastectomy. I received a powerful sign that let me know He was with me. It was absolutely amazing and helped me so much.

    Love and hugs, Renee
  • rallendorfer
    rallendorfer Member Posts: 244
    missrenee said:

    I hate that you are scared
    but I sure do know the feeling all too well. If I could, I would run right over to your house, give you the biggest, warmest, tightest hug ever.

    Hang in there--you can and you will do this. If you believe in a higher power--ask for help to have courage and peace during your treatment. That was my prayer last week right before my mastectomy. I received a powerful sign that let me know He was with me. It was absolutely amazing and helped me so much.

    Love and hugs, Renee

    What was your sign?
    Do you want to share? I do believe in God with all of my heart.
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member

    What was your sign?
    Do you want to share? I do believe in God with all of my heart.

    My sign
    It's long, so I'll do a new post under "My Sign"
  • LoveBabyJesus
    LoveBabyJesus Member Posts: 1,679 Member
    I'm sorry you're feeling
    I'm sorry you're feeling scared.

    How are you doing with drinking water every day to wash out these chemicals? Remember you need to drink tons. I hope these treatments are a lot more tolerable for you. Please try not to be scared, you'll be OK. I think by the time you're done you may have very little to remove!

    Sending you positive energy and prayers your way.
  • rallendorfer
    rallendorfer Member Posts: 244
    missrenee said:

    My sign
    It's long, so I'll do a new post under "My Sign"

    Missrenee
    I will be looking for it. I have had a couple of signs in my life that were overwhelmingly obvious. They do make for long stories though because laying the background for the story has to be told.

    I feel like my prayer is stuck when I am sick and/or afraid. Maybe that is why the bible says to pray for the sick, because they can't for themselves?

    Thank you other dear sisters who give me such kind words. They help so much. My heart is so low right now.
  • lynn1950
    lynn1950 Member Posts: 2,570

    Missrenee
    I will be looking for it. I have had a couple of signs in my life that were overwhelmingly obvious. They do make for long stories though because laying the background for the story has to be told.

    I feel like my prayer is stuck when I am sick and/or afraid. Maybe that is why the bible says to pray for the sick, because they can't for themselves?

    Thank you other dear sisters who give me such kind words. They help so much. My heart is so low right now.

    Sending you the biggest,
    Sending you the biggest, warmest hug I can. xoxoxo Lynn
  • salls41
    salls41 Member Posts: 340

    Missrenee
    I will be looking for it. I have had a couple of signs in my life that were overwhelmingly obvious. They do make for long stories though because laying the background for the story has to be told.

    I feel like my prayer is stuck when I am sick and/or afraid. Maybe that is why the bible says to pray for the sick, because they can't for themselves?

    Thank you other dear sisters who give me such kind words. They help so much. My heart is so low right now.

    God knows your heart
    Rebecca, at those times when you feel you can't pray, do not forget that God knows your heart. Someone told me once that the bible says "do not be afraid" 365 times to let us know that He is with us daily.
    I wish I could offer you a well needed and deserved Hug================{{{{ this all I got}}}
    But know you are in my prayers today.
    Sandy
  • Gabe N Abby Mom
    Gabe N Abby Mom Member Posts: 2,413
    Oh yes, sometimes it is
    Oh yes, sometimes it is incredibly hard to face that next treatment. I did 6 rounds of TAC, for me the fourth one was the one that took all my courage to get through.

    Do you have someone who takes you to treatment? If you do, it's ok to say them this one is hard...can I have a hug?

    Sending you strength, courage, and hugs...

    Linda
  • rallendorfer
    rallendorfer Member Posts: 244
    Thank you all so very much!
    I felt your prayers and had great peace. It is so important to have you around me just holding me up to God for a moment or two and He heard and helped me. I know I am such a baby with a low tolerance for pain, and get so depressed the week before chemo that I can't find good in anything. But I got through this one and the oncologist added a large dose of Benedryl in the IV (which put me right to sleep), Zantac and another steroid that I've never heard of to try to stop the reaction I had to Taxotere the first go round.

    And here is the strange part: When she said "if you continue to have the side effects you had the last time we are going to cut back the dose of Taxotere the next time." I was reactionary! How strange that I didn't want them to do that! I guess because if I got this far I want the full effect of the drug to do its work. Do you know what I mean?

    Thank you, thank you, thank you x a million for caring about me. I don't think that I have had this many people care about me my entire life...truthfully!

    Love you all,
    Rebecca
    ps: Sorry, the day after chemo I get all weepy.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member

    Oh yes, sometimes it is
    Oh yes, sometimes it is incredibly hard to face that next treatment. I did 6 rounds of TAC, for me the fourth one was the one that took all my courage to get through.

    Do you have someone who takes you to treatment? If you do, it's ok to say them this one is hard...can I have a hug?

    Sending you strength, courage, and hugs...

    Linda

    Gentle hugs .. Rebecca ---
    Chemo is difficult on so many of us Sisters in PINK. How we survived each and every
    treatment is a MIRACLE.

    Chemo is also cumulative --- so Please .. Please .. Please have your Oncologist on
    speed dial, get as many scripts that will help prevent or intervene symptoms -- and
    don't be afraid to get yourself to the ER if symptoms become unbearable.

    Reading your posts .. I feel for you --- been there, done that. I don't get why
    some us suffer so, with chemo .. and others, just seem to breeze thru. But, I
    try and not to question .. just thank our Lord that those Sisters will never truly
    know the anguish, or depth of darkness that we endure.

    You are strong .. You are a WARRIOR, and NO One of NOTHING will stop you from
    completing your chemo regiment ... you will PRESERVERE .. 1 hour at a time, 1
    day at a time.

    Never give in, Never give up ...

    Vicki Sam
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member

    Thank you all so very much!
    I felt your prayers and had great peace. It is so important to have you around me just holding me up to God for a moment or two and He heard and helped me. I know I am such a baby with a low tolerance for pain, and get so depressed the week before chemo that I can't find good in anything. But I got through this one and the oncologist added a large dose of Benedryl in the IV (which put me right to sleep), Zantac and another steroid that I've never heard of to try to stop the reaction I had to Taxotere the first go round.

    And here is the strange part: When she said "if you continue to have the side effects you had the last time we are going to cut back the dose of Taxotere the next time." I was reactionary! How strange that I didn't want them to do that! I guess because if I got this far I want the full effect of the drug to do its work. Do you know what I mean?

    Thank you, thank you, thank you x a million for caring about me. I don't think that I have had this many people care about me my entire life...truthfully!

    Love you all,
    Rebecca
    ps: Sorry, the day after chemo I get all weepy.

    Glad you got through this
    Glad you got through this round of chemo Rebecca. You be weepy or whatever you want, you have earned that right.

    Hugs, Jan
  • Bella Luna
    Bella Luna Member Posts: 1,578 Member
    Closer to the Finish Line.
    Chemo is scary but you are doing it. After this one, you'll have two left and be that much closer to the finish line! Hang in there, keep focused, and stay positive. I wish I could give you a real hug too. Just the same, I will pray God grant you peace of mind and heart.
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member

    Closer to the Finish Line.
    Chemo is scary but you are doing it. After this one, you'll have two left and be that much closer to the finish line! Hang in there, keep focused, and stay positive. I wish I could give you a real hug too. Just the same, I will pray God grant you peace of mind and heart.

    Cutting back on Taxotere
    Glad you made it through this infusion. Two more to go. My last dose of chemo (Taxotere and Cytoxin) was a reduced dose. My oncologist said she could reduce the dose 20% without reducing its efficacy. It was either reduce the dose or stop for me. I chose the reduced dose hands down because I was afraid to not finish the protocol (she told me she unfortunately had no statistics on how things would go if I didn't do the last cycle). Be sure to ask if the dose is reduced, how much it can be reduced without effecting its efficacy. That may get you through these last 2 cycles without too many side effects. I think the "trick" with chemo is to give you as much as possible with the least toxic effects.

    I really admire that you've had so many cycles already. I remember how leary you were before you started. You done good!!

    Hugs,
    Suzanne