Checkin in and a tiny vent

I wore the hypothermia slippers and mittens starting with my second infusion when I was also switched from Taxol to Taxotere because of the neuropathy that caused. It didn't cure what I had, but it didn't get worse and using them for pain relief helped a lot in between. I don't know if how tolerable or effective just putting your feet and hands in ice would be, though. I got the mittens and slippers on Amazon. Not cheap, but the slippers were definitely worth it.

bluesmama said:

I cut my hair again

So I got that military GI Jane cut at a nice barber. It was hard to keep back the tears. I was a nervous wreck. I even told the poor girl cutting my hair that it was going to fall out in a few weeks so have fun with it. Every day I seem to find something to have anxiety over. And I've even pushed away one of my dearest friends recently and now she won't respond. I've been misbehaving left and right. The carbo-taxol to me is being confronted with the idea that there's a chance that it spread. And then I get all weepy and sad about missing people already if I'm gone. Especially my nieces, family and few dear besties. One thing I've found myself doing over the past couple of days is making an effort to communicate what I need from people and not being afraid of being vulnerable. 

As for the needles, my arms have been pricked so many times I've lost count. The chemo infusion nurses have been great. It's the bloodwork nurses that could use some help at my location. One in particular is such a nervous pricker that she calls someone else to do it after she fails a few times. I try to grin and bear it but it annoys me to no end when I see her pick my name. 

I've tried to ask for a port but it's not worth the risk according to my doctor since I'm only getting 4 infusions. I have very few accessible veins so they've used the same one for the last two. My vein gets tired towards the end so make sure you ask for heat packs!

Question - have any of you stuck your hands and feet in ice during the Taxol part? Are you happy with the results? I'm going to try to do it. 

I had excruciating and debilitating pain with chemo numbers 1,2,and 3 .....was told it was just my body's reaction to chemo and to increase duration of steroids. But only hydrocodone gave me relief to sleep somewhat.  I received taxol and carboplatin together once every three weeks and my sessions last seven to eight hours. After chemotherapy #4 and the neuropathy becoming so prominent in the hands and feet (and that is not always reversible) they reduced the taxol to 80% and I put my toes on ice packs and held ice packs on my fingertips during the three-hour  taxol drip.....seemed to help.  I also had a port before chemo started however I have had much trouble with it.....they can't always get it to work without a myriad of heparin and me contorting into positions my body hasn't seen since high school! Porter,....the name I've given him should have probably been called Waldo since we are always looking for him. The surgeon evidently implanted him too deep in my chest and too close to the center but they usually find him somewhere under the collarbone. By the time they finish messing with Porter and resterilizing and freezing him....the next several days cause my chest and arm to hurt. Because I keloid the scar tissue makes it harder to locate. I have had sonograms and a port study with dye contrast and xrays to make sure Porter hasn't flipped over ...luckily for me that hasn't happened. I have my last chemo in February and as soon as I start radiation in March the oncologist said it can come out. If, God forbid, I ever need another one...I will have a longer discussion with whoever inserts it .....and I thought I had done my due diligence before but this time I have experience.

Kamushka said:

Ice

I had excruciating and debilitating pain with chemo numbers 1,2,and 3 .....was told it was just my body's reaction to chemo and to increase duration of steroids. But only hydrocodone gave me relief to sleep somewhat.  I received taxol and carboplatin together once every three weeks and my sessions last seven to eight hours. After chemotherapy #4 and the neuropathy becoming so prominent in the hands and feet (and that is not always reversible) they reduced the taxol to 80% and I put my toes on ice packs and held ice packs on my fingertips during the three-hour  taxol drip.....seemed to help.  I also had a port before chemo started however I have had much trouble with it.....they can't always get it to work without a myriad of heparin and me contorting into positions my body hasn't seen since high school! Porter,....the name I've given him should have probably been called Waldo since we are always looking for him. The surgeon evidently implanted him too deep in my chest and too close to the center but they usually find him somewhere under the collarbone. By the time they finish messing with Porter and resterilizing and freezing him....the next several days cause my chest and arm to hurt. Because I keloid the scar tissue makes it harder to locate. I have had sonograms and a port study with dye contrast and xrays to make sure Porter hasn't flipped over ...luckily for me that hasn't happened. I have my last chemo in February and as soon as I start radiation in March the oncologist said it can come out. If, God forbid, I ever need another one...I will have a longer discussion with whoever inserts it .....and I thought I had done my due diligence before but this time I have experience.

SO glad you only have one more to go!!!  So sorry you are suffering like that- we are all so different and you just never know.  I hope and pray your last one goes smoothly.  (((HUGS)))

PS I love that you named it Porter   and ha, ha on Waldo- you have a great sense of humor and I'm sure that's why you are doing so well