Recurrence

I have no experience with other treatments, but I'm sorry you  have to deal with a recurrence already. Chemo and radiation can be hard, but most find them more doable than they expect. May I ask how you came to find out you had a recurrence?

I'm so sorry you have more treatment to undergo and hope it is smooth sailing. I finished chemo in mid January and want to encourage you to follow ZsaZsa's advice if chemo is part of your treatment and includes Taxol or related drugs.  Despite using the cold mitts, which my center did not provide -- I had to get them myself -- I developed pretty serious chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.  If I'd known then what I know now, I would do just what ZsaZsa did and immerse my hands and feet in ice water, as I think that gets them colder than the cold mitts. 

Everyone is different, of course, but if it helps to hear this, the actual experience of the chemo treatment rounds was not painful or difficult for me. I expected it to be and was so terrified that I almost chose not to do it.

All good wishes to you,

Molly

Orchid, I am so sorry that you are having a recurrence so soon after your frontline treatment. While none of us have ever looked forward to chemo and radiation, most have found it doable, especially with the help of each other. We'll be here for you.

The thing to keep in mind is to speak up about symptoms as they occur right away. Do not try to suffer through the least thing except fatigue (which you should give in to). Your oncologist and the chemo nurses have many tricks in their bag to help you to cope with what comes up and there is a lot of experience here on this board to draw from.

I think all of us can agree on the critical importance of icing hands and feet during infusions to prevent neuropathy. Your doctor can also change the drug used (Taxol is the go-to to start, but there are others equally effective they can switch to) or its dosage or infusion rate if that doesn't work, so be sure to let them know how you are doing when that first dose kicks in. 

All good advice above. I am having terrible neuropathy and did not know about icing. Wish I had as it may have helped and certainly cannot hurt. I also had terrible mouth ulcers from chemo and if that happens there is a good compound that can be prescribed for you. 

Orchid65 said:

PET scan

My Radiation oncologist had found a lung nodule on my CT scan just before my hysterectomy surgery in January.  The doctor wanted to see if there was any change in the nodule, and had me scheduled for a CT scan on May 14.  There was no change in the lung nodule, but she found a growth in the left para-aorthic lymph node.  She had me have a PET scan a week later.  She thought it was cancer and recommended radiation and chemothrapy.  After conferring with another oncologist, they thought that surgery was the best option. 

If you opt for radiation, be sure to take nausea medicine before. I was radiated high because I also had that positive lymph node. Because it's so high, can cause nausea. 

Orchid65 said:

Nausea

So nausea can be caused by radiation as well as chemotherapy?

Yes, if you're radiated that high. I went in for what I thought was my "fitting" but they radiated me that same morning. My nausea was horrible. But when I took the Zofran in advance, no problem. Good luck.