Working through Chemo Treaments

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  • Apaugh
    Apaugh Member Posts: 850 Member
    edited May 2017 #22
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    nspired36 said:

    Thank you! Your encouragement

    Thank you! Your encouragement helps.  I still have anxiety that I can't seem to shake.  I even try to pump myself up,  but the anxiety keeps creeping in.  At times I feel like everything is caving in on me and I can't breathe 

    Thankful for my port

    I was nervous about getting a port in.  It was sore in the area for about 3 days maybe but not like bad sore.  My first chemo was on the 3rd day.  They forgot to give me the numbing cream so they just used ice to numb it that first time.  It was fine.  That numbing cream is great. 

    Hugs,

    Annie

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    edited May 2017 #23
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    Nspired

    I know just what you mean. What a roller coaster of emotions.  Staying in the moment is not the easiest thing to do with so much ahead of us.  I am trying to stay busy , but night time is tough. You are not alone and I know that God is with us.  All will be well! All will be well! Thank God you are so close to one of the very best hospitals for cancer in the world!!  We can do this marathon and someday be able to help others get through it. Yes, we can!!!,

  • Beepositive
    Beepositive Member Posts: 259 Member
    edited May 2017 #24
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    Good Luck with everything Nspired36

    Best of luck and prayers to you with Everything Nspired36 yes the unknown is very scary but the more questions you ask the doctors and know what to expect makes it a little better for me!!  keeping family members close for support/and friends really help if you can dont be "super woman" ask and accept help :)

    Best to you...you will be just Fine..hang in there!!Smile

    beepositive

  • Apaugh
    Apaugh Member Posts: 850 Member
    #25
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    nspired36 said:

    Thank you! Your encouragement

    Thank you! Your encouragement helps.  I still have anxiety that I can't seem to shake.  I even try to pump myself up,  but the anxiety keeps creeping in.  At times I feel like everything is caving in on me and I can't breathe 

    nspired

    please dont beat yourself up.  your having a normal reaction to something that is trying to hurt you, even kill you.  You fight like a girl.  You take it day by day.  You sometimes have to take it moment by moment. 

    Sometimes you will be able to do alot in your day.  Sometimes you may not feel like getting out of the bed.  There are no contest here.  Everyone is different and their body will react differently.  It has no bearing on who you are.  And we dont judge here.  We are here to be supportive and understanding.  If you want to rave and rant, go ahead, I did and sometimes, I still do.  It's ok.  Sometimes, you gotta get it out.

    There is no magic wand, no promises that this or doing that is going to cure you.  So you give it your all and roll with the punches and you try everything you can to do what you can to fight this.  Listening to your docs, getting good nutrition, drinking tons of water, taking your meds and giving yourself a break by being good and forgiving of yourself.  If you have a higher power, give it to that higher power and say HELP!  I do know that laughter does help.  Negative people bring you down.  I am one to educate about everything, so I do get on google and I look up stuff adn I keep doing it because I have that chemo fog going on and forget.

    There is no stupid question on here or for your docs ever.  Keep pushing, keep asking.  Advocate for yourself always.  Get close to your American Cancer Society in your area.  They are helpful and if they dont choose to be, push them to be or go to your big town nearest you and they will help.  There are so many things they can help you with.  From wigs, scarves, makeup, massage, art therapy, equipment if needed and more and more. 

    From all your post, you seem to be a brave lady.  Dont stop believing in yourself ever. 

    Hugs,

    Annie

  • nspired36
    nspired36 Member Posts: 80
    #26
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    HapB said:

    Nspired

    I know just what you mean. What a roller coaster of emotions.  Staying in the moment is not the easiest thing to do with so much ahead of us.  I am trying to stay busy , but night time is tough. You are not alone and I know that God is with us.  All will be well! All will be well! Thank God you are so close to one of the very best hospitals for cancer in the world!!  We can do this marathon and someday be able to help others get through it. Yes, we can!!!,

    HapB

    Night time is way worse than the day. Atleast during the day, I can run errands, hang out with friends/family etc.... at night my mind runs wild. When I had a PET Scan last week, they saw something "suspicious" in my ovaries (which almost pushed me over the edge...lol). I prayed and prayed that it was nothing serious and it turned out to be nothing (a small cyst). I say that to say, that I have strong faith in God and belive that he will get me through this journey. Did they tell you if you have to do chemo or not?

  • nspired36
    nspired36 Member Posts: 80
    #27
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    Beepositive said:

    Good Luck with everything Nspired36

    Best of luck and prayers to you with Everything Nspired36 yes the unknown is very scary but the more questions you ask the doctors and know what to expect makes it a little better for me!!  keeping family members close for support/and friends really help if you can dont be "super woman" ask and accept help :)

    Best to you...you will be just Fine..hang in there!!Smile

    beepositive

    I have been doing ton of

    I have been doing ton of reasearch. Some of it is encouraging and some of it is downright scary. I do have a list of questions for my doctors before my 1st chemo next week. I am still a bit scared, but feel alot better than I did 2 weeks ago! I just want to feel normal again, but like this speaker said "normal is a setting on your washing machine" ha, love it!

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    #28
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    nspired36 said:

    HapB

    Night time is way worse than the day. Atleast during the day, I can run errands, hang out with friends/family etc.... at night my mind runs wild. When I had a PET Scan last week, they saw something "suspicious" in my ovaries (which almost pushed me over the edge...lol). I prayed and prayed that it was nothing serious and it turned out to be nothing (a small cyst). I say that to say, that I have strong faith in God and belive that he will get me through this journey. Did they tell you if you have to do chemo or not?

    I see the MO tomorrow

    HI!  The tumor was triple positive, so I am being told that regardless of stage 1 and small ize of tumor with no node involvement, they always do the same chemo and radiation treatment followed by 5 years of aromastase inhibitors. The Her2+ makes the cancer more aggressive .  I am not happy and I will decide over the weekend after I hear all of the information tomorrow. I am very concerned about Herceptin, which they give to Her2+ patients because it can cause congestive heart failure in a large percentage of patients. My Mom died at age 72 from congestive heart failure and was disabled from it for the last 10 years of her life. I really do NOT want to risk that. I am 65 and have had an amazing life. I would trade 5 healthy years for 10 unhealthy years.  I need more information. 

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    #29
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    nspired36 said:

    I have been doing ton of

    I have been doing ton of reasearch. Some of it is encouraging and some of it is downright scary. I do have a list of questions for my doctors before my 1st chemo next week. I am still a bit scared, but feel alot better than I did 2 weeks ago! I just want to feel normal again, but like this speaker said "normal is a setting on your washing machine" ha, love it!

    Nspired

    What is your chemo regimen? Have they told you? Are you hormone or Her2 positive?  I am finding research is helping me understand better what I am facing. 

  • nspired36
    nspired36 Member Posts: 80
    #30
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    Apaugh said:

    nspired

    please dont beat yourself up.  your having a normal reaction to something that is trying to hurt you, even kill you.  You fight like a girl.  You take it day by day.  You sometimes have to take it moment by moment. 

    Sometimes you will be able to do alot in your day.  Sometimes you may not feel like getting out of the bed.  There are no contest here.  Everyone is different and their body will react differently.  It has no bearing on who you are.  And we dont judge here.  We are here to be supportive and understanding.  If you want to rave and rant, go ahead, I did and sometimes, I still do.  It's ok.  Sometimes, you gotta get it out.

    There is no magic wand, no promises that this or doing that is going to cure you.  So you give it your all and roll with the punches and you try everything you can to do what you can to fight this.  Listening to your docs, getting good nutrition, drinking tons of water, taking your meds and giving yourself a break by being good and forgiving of yourself.  If you have a higher power, give it to that higher power and say HELP!  I do know that laughter does help.  Negative people bring you down.  I am one to educate about everything, so I do get on google and I look up stuff adn I keep doing it because I have that chemo fog going on and forget.

    There is no stupid question on here or for your docs ever.  Keep pushing, keep asking.  Advocate for yourself always.  Get close to your American Cancer Society in your area.  They are helpful and if they dont choose to be, push them to be or go to your big town nearest you and they will help.  There are so many things they can help you with.  From wigs, scarves, makeup, massage, art therapy, equipment if needed and more and more. 

    From all your post, you seem to be a brave lady.  Dont stop believing in yourself ever. 

    Hugs,

    Annie

    Thanks Annie

    I am SO glad that i stumbled upon this site, you ladies are amazing and super supportive!! It's so refreshing to have a group of wonderful people that can truly understand what I'm going through. I'm going to be ok, I know it's not going to be easy. But I feel like I have a good team of doctors, I have a great family and I have you guys for support.

    Tanya

  • nspired36
    nspired36 Member Posts: 80
    edited May 2017 #31
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    HapB said:

    Nspired

    What is your chemo regimen? Have they told you? Are you hormone or Her2 positive?  I am finding research is helping me understand better what I am facing. 

    I will be taking A/C aka red

    I will be taking A/C aka red devil 4 times (2 times a month). Then I will be Taxol, 12 weekly doses. They also suggested Corboplatin alternated wth the Taxol did 6  TC doses. I am Her2 negative. 

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    #32
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    nspired36 said:

    I will be taking A/C aka red

    I will be taking A/C aka red devil 4 times (2 times a month). Then I will be Taxol, 12 weekly doses. They also suggested Corboplatin alternated wth the Taxol did 6  TC doses. I am Her2 negative. 

    It is great that you are Her2 negative! I guess what makes the difference in chemo treatment is that darned her2 positive status. The cutoff was 2.0 and my tumor was 2.1, but the Dr, says it is a red line that puts me in the agressive treatment category.  I will learn more tomorrow. I am trying to stay calm and I know you are too. I think we just have to take it one day at a time. Will you have surgery and radiation too?

  • nspired36
    nspired36 Member Posts: 80
    #33
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    I will be praying for you!

    I will be praying for you! Yes, one day at a time.  My grandauther came to visit yesterday and for a few hours I forgot all about cancer

  • HapB
    HapB Member Posts: 527
    #34
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    Nspired

    There is nothing like a child to remind us to live in the moment!   Thank you for the prayers, and know that you are in mine as we start on this journey to wellness!  

  • Apaugh
    Apaugh Member Posts: 850 Member
    #35
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    herceptin

    Hey Hap, that Herceptin is scary to read about.  I know.  Mine bothers my joints so bad.  a side effect, but it goes away.  and then the Als oh they do that too.  so they will have you take large doses of Vit D and calcium that counteracts that.  and every few months they do a heart ultra sound on you to check your heart and they will do bone density (not as often).  My heart scans actually are getting better and my bone scans are fine.  And they will keep doing that check.  If ever they feel your heart is in jeapordy, they will stop the treatment of the Herceptin, wait a little bit and either restart them or come up with a different plan.  I hope you can do them because that positive receptor is so scrary.  When I go back over and over and read how those pos cells act, it freaks me out and makes me go back to the treatments.  I have had alot of them and there are some on here that have had years of it and are doing ok.  My hope is that after my last one, that the bone pain, joint pain, and muscle aches will go down tremendously.   It took me about a 2 months to get use to the ALs, oh I thought to myself, I cant do this for 5 years, I just cant.  I was hot flashing like it was nobodies buisness.  Well you can look back at my older post and see what fits I took to that! 

    I still get flashes but I have learned to manage them.  Like everything else that comes with this awful disease, we pink ladies fight fight fight and we get on with it. 

    Tanya, I got to see my grands today!  Yes, you are so right, they help so much to get it off your mind.  

    Hugs,

    Annie

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